P1racenews AI automatic summary:
MotoGP riders insist holeshot devices are not responsible for the growing number of first-corner crash injuries in grand prix racing.
Due to incidents at the Catalan MotoGP, both Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco are absent from this weekend’s Mugello round. Marquez suffered back injuries after clipping the KTM of race leader Pedro Acosta, and Zarco sustained knee injuries during a nasty Turn 1 accident on the restart. Turn 1 incidents have been causing about 20% of injuries resulting in riders missing a MotoGP race since the introduction of Sprint races in 2023, according to Dimitri Stathopoulos’ analysis. MotoGP utilizes holeshot/ride-height devices to lower the bike’s front and rear, but these will be banned next season as they no longer provide a significant relative performance advantage. Riders at Mugello, including Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Gi Giannantonio, do not attribute first-corner crashes to these devices, emphasizing the inherent danger of the first corner and the challenges of braking in MotoGP due to high speeds. Fabio di Giannantonio pointed out the unpredictability of braking for Turn 1 during a start compared to a normal lap, highlighting the complexity riders face during race starts. Efforts to reduce the distance between the grid and Turn 1, as suggested for Catalunya, may help improve safety but won’t completely eliminate the challenges riders face in MotoGP races.
