P1racenews AI automatic summary:
A ban on holeshot devices was proposed for this weekend’s French MotoGP at Le Mans.
One of the topics discussed in the Friday Safety Commission meeting at Le Mans was the possibility of banning holeshot devices at certain tracks this season, including Le Mans, Silverstone, and Phillip Island.
These tracks have fast first turns that make it challenging to release the holeshot devices attached to the front and rear of the bikes for race starts.
The use of holeshot devices lowers the rear of the motorcycles beyond normal ride-height settings, with the front system further lowering the center of gravity to prevent wheelies.
The devices are disengaged by braking forces at Turn 1, but the lack of significant braking at these tracks poses a risk of bikes remaining in a fully lowered position or riders having to brake excessively to disengage them.
After discussions with riders, a proposal was made to eliminate holeshot devices for race starts at these three tracks, although the ban will not be immediate due to lack of unanimous agreement among manufacturers.
The ban would exempt normal ride-height devices after the initial corner, and the future implementation for Silverstone and Phillip Island is still uncertain.
