MotoGP – Back to 1 Hour Sessions

Today at Motegi, the MSMA and Grand Prix Commission will be holding another meeting to discuss several adjustments to the new 2009 rules and the first to be changed will be the 45 minute free practice format.
The new format was put into effect as a cost saving measure.

During the Qatar GP the new rule came under a lot of criticism from riders and teams who complained of not having enough time to set-up the bikes during the allotted practice time.

Hervé Poncharal, IRTA President has confirmed: “We will revert back to one hour practice sessions to give riders and mechanics more time.

This rule was requested by the manufacturers to lengthen engine life and we will instead introduce a limit on how many lap can be taken during practice sessions, this way riders and mechanics will have more time to talk.
”“We will have to oversee all the procedures and also the software that controls the practice sessions.

We will probably revert back to one hour long sessions in Jerez, if we have time”