The Permanent Bureau has worked closely for many years with all Road and Circuit Racing stakeholders, including IRTA and the MSMA, towards creating the safest sport possible. Whilst all parties, and fans, are conscious that motorcycle racing is dangerous, all bodies are committed to continued improvement and evolution, making it safer every day and ensuring that the sport continues to grow on a global scale.

Via a process of constant review and revision, this commitment from the Permanent Bureau and all those within the sport goes back various decades, in close collaboration with the riders themselves in the Safety Commission, and has already resulted in significant improvements to safety within motorcycle racing. To build on this progress, additional safety regulations and improvements will now come into force in four key areas, aimed at further minimising the risk of motorcycle racing as much as possible. These key areas are minimum age limits and entry list sizes for each series, alongside projects in development concerning improvements in rider equipment and rider communication.

In coming seasons, the number of competitors on track in each series will be limited as outlined below. In addition, new age limits for each class, series or Championship will come into force. These age limits will be introduced as part of a policy to be implemented worldwide, with the FIM committed to ensuring they are also adhered to by National Federations and Continental Unions, to make a discernible difference to the sport at every level.

Raising the minimum age for each category of motorcycle racing is a decision taken in order to ensure a safer pathway for all riders beginning and continuing their careers.

In addition, increasing the age limit for certain categories will enable greater parity between different countries and continents, helping to increase accessibility by levelling the playing field and ensuring each rider is able to gain similar experience in different categories around the world.

The Talent Cups, which are organised and/or supported by Dorna, such as the European, British, Northern and Asia Talent Cups, as well as pre-Moto3™ series, will raise the minimum age to 13 and there will be a maximum of 30 competitors on each grid.

The minimum age for competitors in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be raised to 14.

The FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship in the FIM CEV Repsol will see the minimum age limit raised from 14 to 15. A maximum of 32 competitors will be permitted in each race.

In the WorldSSP300 class in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, the minimum age limit will be raised from 15 to 16. A maximum of 32 riders will be allowed to line up on the grid.

For the 2022 season, there will be an exception granted for riders who have already entered in the same class in 2021 to allow them to continue to race.

A minimum age of 14 should be applied to all racing at any Grand Prix-type circuits, including all those that have or have had Grade A, B or C homologation, which will include the Asia, British, European and Northern Talent Cups.

The minimum age for competitors in any class in the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship will be raised to 18. This includes for Moto3 and Moto2, for which the age limit is currently 16.

The winner of the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship and/or the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be allowed to join Moto3 at 17 years of age. For the 2023 season only, there will also be an exception granted for riders who have already entered Moto3 in 2022 to allow them to continue to race.

The FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship and the Moto2 European Championship, both in the FIM CEV Repsol, will have a minimum age limit of 16. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will also increase the minimum age by one more year to 15.

With the same philosophy as that applied in 2022 (for riders who have already competed in 2021), an exception will be granted to riders already participating in the Talent Cups in 2022 to allow them to continue to race in the same class in 2023.

The minimum age for competitors in the WorldSSP Championship will be raised to 18.

From 2022, airbags will be compulsory in all Sprint Circuit Racing FIM championships.

For the FIM Sidecar World Championship, tests are underway to determine whether the known algorithms are valid for passengers. These tests will make it possible to know whether the airbag can be used by all participants from 2022.

Rider safety equipment has improved significantly throughout the decades and continues to do so thanks to improvements across the industry, from leathers, gloves, back and chest protectors and boots to FIM homologated helmets and innovative airbag systems. It has never been safer to ride a motorcycle at speed and these improvements help to protect a rider from injury, in many instances helping to save lives whilst not compromising rideability, which is also intrinsic to on-track safety.

A first meeting took place at the Aragon GP between all partners, including leather and helmet suppliers, technical staff and medical personnel, on the next step towards improving the level of protection afforded by rider equipment, with increased focus on protecting competitors against an impact from another rider or motorcycle, particularly the chest and neck.

All parties are committed to making improvements in these areas and meeting this challenge as safely and as quickly as possible whilst ensuring the high level of current protection is not compromised.

The ease and speed of communication between riders, pit wall and Race Direction has improved significantly in recent years, with dashboard technology, high-tech light panels at circuits and instant channels of communication between marshal posts and Race Direction all contributing to a safer environment for all competitors.

The next step to increase the safety of all those on track will focus on communicating to a rider or bike that a crash has taken place ahead as soon as possible.

A first meeting between all partners and technical suppliers has already taken place in order to discuss the installation and implementation of the required technology in rider equipment, on motorcycles and/or around each circuit, the aim of which is to implement automatic, near-instant warning systems for all following riders/motorcycles. The first tests will start as soon as the beginning of the 2022 season, and the system must and will be applicable to Championships of all levels, including Talent Cups.

The first match point weekend of the season is here and in the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna Pre-Event Press Conference, World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) previewed a huge three days that are coming up, alongside COTA winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama), Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) and 2022 MotoGP™ rider Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing).

Aforementioned, it’s a massive weekend for both riders. Quartararo has his first match point and a win at Misano will see the Frenchman clinch his first Grand Prix title, but 2021 San Marino GP winner Pecco is going “all in” to try and take the fight to Portimao.

Quartararo: “Yes of course I’m feeling really good but to be honest my head is not really on that part. I think we need to take it like a normal race but we know on Sunday something special can happen. But first of all on Friday and Saturday we need to plan it like the rest of the year, and then on Sunday we will see the amount of risk we will take. But Friday and Saturday will be a normal situation for the moment and then we will see what will happen.

“We will see. It’s how I like to race but I have never been in that situation. Last year I learned a lot, not how to fight for a championship but to be leader of the championship for many races was an important step for my experience, and this year I think it’s much ‘easy’ let’s say to have it. At the moment it is a normal race and we will see how much risk we will take on Sunday.”

Bagnaia: “For me the only thing I can do is win, to try and stay in the Championship fight. We know 52 points are a lot, but we will try. We still have the possibility so we will try. It will be different this weekend because the conditions are different and looks like it could rain on Friday and Saturday. For sure this weekend I have to go all in and try to make something.”

As many will know, nine-time World Champion Rossi will be hanging up his leathers at the end of 2021. And this weekend sees the much-adored Italian race – in MotoGP™ – in front of his home faithful at Misano. So how is The Doctor feeling ahead of his last dance on home soil?

Rossi: “It’s a bit of a strange situation because it is already the second time here in Misano and the second race is particular, because usually we race just once, but with the Covid situation we’ve learned to stay at one track for more than one race. It’s a great chance to say Ciao to all the Italian fans so it is great to race here in Misano at my home circuit. I hope the weather will be good for the weekend, because this period in Italy is a bit more difficult so I hope for a dry weekend, especially on Sunday. Try the maximum during the weekend to be competitive during the race.

“Like you said, it’s a long story, more than 400 races in my career. I just have to say thank you to everybody. I have had incredible support all over the world, especially in Italy. I always give the maximium, we enjoy a lot together as it’s a long career with a lot of great races. We will see on Sunday, anyways after Misano we will have 2 more races, it’s always a sad moment when you arrive at the end but anyways it was good. We’ll enjoy!”

On Thursday afternoon at Misano, Darryn Binder was confirmed as Andrea Dovizioso’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) teammate in the newly-branded WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team, becoming the only the second rider to make the jump from Moto3™ straight to MotoGP™ after Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Darryn Binder: “First off I would just like to say a he thanks to WithU RNF Yamaha Racing for giving me this opportunity. It feels unreal, it feels like I am in a different world right now. It’s a childhood dream to ride in MotoGP and not everybody gets this opportunity, and I definitely never expected it to come from Moto3. I’m super excited and it’s a huge step forward so it’s going to be a big learning curve for me, but yeah I’m super excited, I’m ready to work as hard as I can and it all starts at the end of the year when I get the first ride on the M1.

“You know it’s definitely an opportunity you can’t turn down, it’s a no brainer for me. It’s definitely a big step and I think I’ll be asking my brother a lot of questions and I’m going to be trying to follow his footsteps very closely over the holiday to train and try and get ready for the bigger bike. From my side I definitely feel like I’ve been in Moto3 for way too long, I’m quite big so I think my size should suit the big bike a bit better. It’s going to be a huge learning curve but I’m up for the hard work and I will do my best to get stronger and stronger.”

Some other huge news to break ahead of the Emilia-Romagna GP was the announcement that Ducati are going to become the single manufacturer in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup from 2023-2026. See HERE to get the full story!

Thursday’s day of chit-chatting is now over, and it’s time for the talking to be done on track. The first match point weekend is here, will the title go Quartararo’s way this weekend? Time will tell! Tune into MotoGP™ FP1 at 09:55 local time (GMT+2) to see who’s on form from the off.