MotoGP, (Almost) all riders like the 'virtual board'

The new ‘virtual board’, or rather the sending of messages by Race Direction - and soon the teams too - directly onto the bike's instrument panel, has been well accepted by the riders. On the one hand, it improves safety, at the last Assen race for example, Rins would have warned that Petrucci was right behind him trying to lap him, on the other hand, it can assist with race strategy, during a flag-to-flag situation for instance.

“It's helpful - says Valentino - We bike riders are not like the Formula 1 drivers who can relax between one corner and another, we have less 'free time', but in this way we can communicate with the garage”.

There are a few cons, but the pros seem to outweigh them.

“I don't deny that reading messages might be a slight distraction, it's a system that needs to be used wisely - explains Dovizioso - I'm in favour, the more information we have, the better”.

Lorenzo also agrees.

“I'm very curious to try it, we could receive very useful data, both from Race Direction and the team. I can't see any negatives, then each rider will decide whether to use it or not” he states.

Petrucci also supports the latest development.

“There are always more rules to respect and it can be difficult for a rider at times - he observes - Just look at what happened to Valentino at Le Mans: in the last laps, Vinales cut the chicane, he could have been penalised and the team could have communicated that. It's a distraction, but a minimal one, you just take a quick look and carry on”.

Marquez is also in favour, though he has a few reservations.

“For me it's helpful, especially in terms of informing us about any penalties. For the rest, I prefer to rely on the classic pit board"  he says.

Naturally, not all riders see it the same way, Iannone for example is rather neutral, “nothing changes for me”, while Pedrosa and Smith expressed doubts during the Safety Commission.

As does Crutchlow: “I don't like it, we don't have time to read messages while we're driving. It could be dangerous I think".

Aleix Espargarò backs this up: “it's a system that needs to be used wisely or it could be dangerous. We need to find a simple, fast way to communicate to avoid any distractions. With a MotoGP, you can only read these messages along the straight, but if the rider ahead of you is having any problems, it could become risky”.