The FIM and the Grand Prix Commission have modified and added a few more rules for the upcoming 2012 season.
The most important item on the agenda which we already knew, but has now been officially confirmed, is that testing rules have now been relaxed.
Any rider can now privately test a MotoGP machine as long as manufacturer doesn’t exceed the tire allocation (which should be 240).
This will no doubt make Ducati and Valentino Rossi happy as they’ve been pushing for more testing days and that factory riders shouldn’t be banned from doing the testing outside scheduled dates.
It was agreed that with effect from 2012 private testing of MotoGP class machines may be carried out by any rider, subject to a limit on the total number of tyres being supplied by the official MotoGP tyre supplier.
Final details will be confirmed at the next GPC meeting in December.
It was also agreed that manufacturers may use any rider for the completion of their 2011 testing programme during November 2011.
The Commission has also added a new rule which involves safety issues and specifically, that all the GP motorcycles must be equipped with a brake lever protection.
The idea of a brake protection has been bounced around since 2006, following the horrific incident at the Catalunya GP set off between Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi (see video after the jump).
Several teams already have them like LCR Honda, but now they’ll be mandatory across the board.
Motorcycles must be equipped with brake lever protection, intended to protect the handlebar brake lever(s) from being accidentally activated in case of collision with another machine.
Acceptable protection includes the fairing extending sufficiently to cover the brake lever, as viewed from the front.
Such devices must be strong enough to function effectively and designed so that there is no risk for the rider to be injured or trapped by it, and it must not be considered a dangerous fitting (at the sole discretion of the Technical Director).
In case the brake lever protection is attached to any part of the braking system (eg.
brake master cylinder), then the brake system manufacturer must officially confirm in writing to the Technical Director that the device does not interfere with the proper brake operation.
There is also a revised minimum weight change for all three classes:- Moto3: motorcycle and rider: 148kg- Moto2: motorcycle 140kg- MotoGP: up to 800cc motorcycle: 150kg – 801 – 1000cc motorcycle: 153kgOfficial press release here.
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