The Grand Prix Commission met in Motegi and made an important decision to improve the active safety of the drivers. As of 2018, all drivers must use leather with an approved airbag system.
The regulations were passed with the approval of all manufacturers of technical clothing involved in the championship and are clearly good news. The airbag is now an end customer accessory, so it was high time the ruling class was obliged to fall back on such an important system.
The GP commission also spoke about the bicycle aerodynamics soap opera. After banning the winglets for the next year, it has now decided to further restrict interventions on the fairings. The reason given is the cost limit.
From 2017, the technical director will homologate the fairing design at the first race of the year, after which the manufacturers are only allowed to make changes to the fairing and front fenders over the course of the season. This rule applies to every single driver, rather the bike model.
Finally, a tender was launched for the delivery of individual ECUs for Moto2 in the period 2019-2011 with the possibility of an extension for the following seasons.
The most important requirements for the ECU are: It should equip engines with up to 4 cylinders, be able to manage ride-by-wire, have an integrated data logger, be able to manage various strategies (e.g. traction control, anti-wheelie, launch control, engine braking etc.).
If you want, you can apply until November 9, 2016. The responsible contact person is the Director of Technology Corrado Cecchinelli.