MotoGP Riders Critical of Pit-to-Rider Communication Plan

By: David Gruz

Championship leader Marc Marquez and British duo Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith have all said they don't support the extension to pit-to-rider communication MotoGP is developing for next year.

The new system is set to give crew chiefs around 20 types of messages, including information about rival competitors, that can be relayed to their riders. Honda's Marquez said he is against the idea as the ability for rider to make their own decisions "is one of the nicest things" in MotoGP.

"OK, we have a team behind us but then on the track the rider is alone and he has to make the decision," said Marquez. "For that reason the teams pay us to be the fastest, to defeat every time. And for me one of the things that I don't like in F1 is most of the times the teams have too much effect on the race. So, for me, if you do the correct meetings before the race, if you are clever enough on the bike, and also experienced, it's OK.

"For example in Germany I was the guy who changed the bike in the correct time - maybe it will be the opposite. But this is also the nicest things from the race."

Future KTM man Smith backed up Marquez's point.

"Not a fan , I still think that the sole element of the rider making his own choices and calculations is that makes flag-to-flag racing much more interesting," he said. "If you bring in dash communication, it's taking away the fun of flag-to-flag, it's all part of how we should do it."

Crutchlow, also against the proposed plans, argued communication in the other direction would be more useful.

"The problem is, how do I send something back? It's difficult to text," he joked. "It's OK reading something, but the information is, the rider to the crew chief, more than the crew chief to the rider. What can he tell me, for example? 'It is drying up?' F**k, you're not on the bike, mate. You can't really make that call as much as anyone just because somebody else has pitted.

"I don't know what they can tell at the end of the day, I don't think it's necessarily a good thing."