For years in the MotoGP World Championship, when the stewards had to punish for repeatedly exceeding the limits of the track, for overtaking with a yellow flag or for any other irregularity, the riders were sanctioned with time, or having to give up position or with a passage through the pits, in most cases. On many occasions the punishment was disproportionate to the benefit of the infraction, so that the career of some was ruined.
This led to the fact that during the 2019 preseason, the Race Directorate proposed a new penalty called the long lap penalty (rodeo or long lap) and that the drivers could rehearse it. The initial idea of the new measure was to replace the loss of a position during the course of a grand prix, but finally the new sanction did not invalidate the previous one and it was added to the catalog as one more resource for the stewards.
What is the ‘long lap penalty’ in MotoGP
Since its approval at the beginning of the 2019 season, in each circuit there is a designated area, usually in a curve, in the outer asphalt loophole where there is a narrow lane delimited by two white lines. The pilots have to pass through there without exceeding those lines inside or outside, which forces them to slow down somewhat, while traveling more meters when going through the outer cordon. If they exceed the limits, the penalty will not count as fulfilled and they will have to repeat the step.
Those in charge of deciding at which point of each circuit the lane in which the sanctioned driver must circulate when serving the penalty is enabled are Carlos Ezpeleta , sports director of the championship, and Franco Uncini and Loris Capirossi , members of the Race Direction. In any case, if in a calendar layout it is not possible to implement the zone due to the limitations of the environment, another type of sanction would be applied.
In essence, the idea behind this punishment is that the sanctioned driver loses several seconds –between two and three in most circuits– and one or several positions, depending on the distance with the rivals, proportionally to the benefit obtained. However, it is possible that the runner will not give up any place if he executes it well and had a sufficient advantage with the rival behind him.
How the ‘long lap penalty’ works
Once the infraction has been analyzed by Race Direction, the rider receives a message on the dashboard (the screen above the handlebars) informing him that he has to comply with the long lap penalty . From that moment they have three laps to do it.
In case of not passing through the area in that interval, the stewards will have the power to add the seconds they consider appropriate to the time of the offender or even disqualify him.
It is also possible that the sanction consists of a double long lap penalty . In this case, exceptionally, the pilot will have five laps to pay the penalty and go through said point twice.
In both scenarios, within the allowed interval, the pilot chooses the right moment to comply with the area and they do not have to be consecutive in case of being double.
The sanction is applicable to the three World Championship categories, MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, and has already been ‘copied’ by WorldSBK.
The track engineers of the 22 MotoGP riders in 2021
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo credit: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
