Moto3: New penalties for riding slow in Moto3

Moto3 riders continue to ride slow during sessions purposely to get a tow, despite sanctions being added this year.

No matter what race direction do, they cannot seem to stop Moto3 riders from riding slow during sessions to try and catch a tow. The sight of 20+ riders all riding down the straight at a snail’s pace trying to tow a fast rider like Raul Fernandez who is famously fast over one lap, is a sight we have become accustomed to seeing, even back in 2013 we had these problems, yet 7 years later they continue.

It is incredibly dangerous, if there are riders approaching the group who are riding within the 104% margin of the top speed, then they are likely to be going twice as fast as the riders dawdling on the racing line, opening the door for big crashes due to the huge speed difference.

In the past there have been penalties put in place such as 3 place penalties and even back of the grid starts, but these don’t seem to deter riders from purposely going slow, therefore stronger penalties have been applied from this weekend in the Grand Prix of Teruel.

The penalties are below:

– Long Lap
– Double Long Lap
– Pit Lane Start + Long Lap
– Pit Lane Ride Through
– Disqualification from the event

Disqualification is the harshest punishment and can even be handed out in FP1, meaning a rider could go slow in the first 10 minutes of FP1 and miss the entire rest of the event.

These punishments may seem harsh, but given that the previous penalties have been ignored, the is the only way forward.

Featured image – www.motogp.com