Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, and Jorge Lorenzo, advocate a safer way to switch from their primary, to their spare motorcycles in a wet race

From 2Wheeled Racing News And Views on Facebook.  Marquez, Pedrosa, and Lorenzo, want a safer way to start races affected by rain.  Couldn't blame them.

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Motogp - German MotoGP podium finishers Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and
Jorge Lorenzo have called for a change in the regulations to avoid a
repeat of Sunday's chaotic scenes at the end of pit lane.
A rain shower shortly before the race start meant most riders
decided to fit wet weather tyres on the grid, only to find during the
formation lap that the drying surface was more suitable for slicks
As a result, 14 of the 23 riders promptly dived into pit lane instead
of lining up on the grid.
Those 14 then jumped from their wet bike to a waiting dry bike,
before rushing to form a free-for-all queue at the end of pit lane.
With five riders packed side-by-side on each unofficial row, they
were all released as those on the grid reached turn one.
Race winner Marquez, who called it a Motocross style start, said:
“This situation will be difficult to repeat but of course someday it
can happen again. We will speak with Race Direction and maybe
make some kind of change at the end of pit lane, because now when
everybody goes in to change the bike it does not matter if you were
on pole positon. It was like just go there and try to find a place to
start at the front.”
While Marquez was able to squeeze to the front of the pit lane
queue, team-mate and second place qualifier Pedrosa was demoted
to row two.

“Like Marc said maybe that is the biggest thing because I was front
row on the grid, but because I didn't go into the pits first, when I
changed my bike I was in the second row at the end of pit lane,”
said Pedrosa. “Normally today's situation doesn't happen, where
everybody makes the same choice [to come into the pits before the
start]. I did it two years ago but I was only with two or three other
guys.”
Lorenzo meanwhile was forced to take avoiding action at the first
corner due to the cold carbon brakes failing to slow his Movistar
Yamaha.
“For me it was dangerous for a few reasons,” said the Spaniard.
“The carbon disc is one reason, because for me I couldn't warm the
disc [before the start]. Also you've got new tyres and especially the
exit after the pit lane is very narrow. There were a lot of riders trying
to overtake. So maybe it is better to get another type of regulation
to avoid these kind of very dangerous moments.”

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