Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing rider, lost the points earned during the recent British Grand Prix in MotoGP due to a 16-second penalty. This penalty, which dropped him to 16th place, is due to an issue with tire pressure that was not documented properly by monitoring systems before the race.
Generally, penalties of this type are imposed when riders do not complete the minimum laps with tire pressure above the levels specified by Michelin for safety reasons. However, in this case, the situation was different. The control system did not capture data from Quartararo’s front wheel, and the officials reported that ‘the sensor identification was not recorded in the receiver’s database.’ This was due to a procedural error committed by his team before the race.
A problem detected during the race
During the race, the front tire pressure sensor did not send real-time data to the championship organizers. After the competition, Danny Aldridge, technical director of MotoGP, asked the company OnRace Motorsports to analyze the problem.
The first phase consisted of verifying the sensor’s operation by comparing its results with those recorded by Michelin with a manometer. The two readings turned out to be identical, demonstrating that the sensor was functioning correctly. However, there was no communication between the system installed on the bike and the electronic control unit (ECU) that connects to the championship systems during the competition.
The sensor was not appearing at the receiver
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) requires prior configuration. Each manufacturer must register the identification numbers of the sensors they use on their bikes in the receiver, also specifying whether each sensor is assigned to the front or rear wheel.
The analysis revealed that Quartararo’s sensor was not registered in the receiver’s database, despite being fully operational. This implied that the error was attributable to the Yamaha team in preparing the bike, thus violating the regulations set forth in article 2.4.4.9.1, which requires manufacturers to ensure that sensors are properly registered.
A system designed to avoid unfair penalties
A malfunction of the sensor or the TPMS does not automatically result in a penalty for the rider or the team. The rules are designed precisely to discern whether the lack of data is due to a technical problem or an error in configuration. The technical instructions provided to manufacturers include an authorization list with the identifiers of the sensors.
Manufacturers are responsible for the correct registration of the identifiers on the permission list and for regularly inspecting the condition of the sensors, including the battery, to ensure they function until the end of the race. An error like the one that affected Quartararo is relatively rare, as it is the first time such a situation has occurred since tire monitoring was implemented at Silverstone 2023.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
