The new ‘virtual board’ or the sending of messages by the Race Direction – and soon the teams too – directly on the bike’s dashboard is well received by the riders. On the one hand, it increases security; in the last race in Assen, for example, Rins would have warned that Petrucci was right behind him in order to lap him, on the other hand, it can help with the racing strategy, for example during a flag-to-flag situation.
“It is helpful – says Valentino – We motorcyclists are not like Formula 1 drivers who can relax between turns, we have less “free time”, but in this way we can communicate with the garage. “
There are a few downsides, but the pros seem to outweigh them.
“I’m not denying that reading the news can be a slight distraction, it’s a system that needs to be used wisely – explains Dovizioso – I am in favor of the more information we have, the better ”.
Lorenzo also agrees.
“I am very excited to try it, we could get very useful data, both from Race Direction and from the team. I can’t see anything negative, then every driver will decide whether to use it or not, ”he says.
Petrucci also supports the latest development.
“There are more and more rules to follow and it can sometimes be difficult for a driver – he observes – just look at what happened to Valentino at Le Mans: In the last few laps Vinales broke off the chicane, he would have been punished and the team could have communicated that. It’s a distraction but a minimal one, just take a quick look and move on“.
Marquez is for it too, although he has some reservations.
“For me it is helpful, especially to inform us about possible penalties. Incidentally, I prefer to rely on the classic pit board, ”he says.
Of course, not all drivers see it the same way, Iannone, for example, is more neutral, “nothing changes for me”, while Pedrosa and Smith expressed doubts during the Safety Commission.
As well as crutches: “I don’t like that, we don’t have time to read the news while we are driving. It could be dangerous I think “.
Aleix Espargarò confirms this: “It is a system that must be used with caution or it could be dangerous. We need to find an easy and quick way to communicate in order to avoid distractions. In MotoGP you can only read these messages along the straight, but if the rider in front of you has problems it can be risky. “