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Radio communications are set to make an entry in the MotoGP as early as 2025. Dorna has been experimenting with the system with a number of riders for 3 years now and, in the recent tests at Misano, two-way communication between rider and pits was also tried. After the tests on the Italian circuit, a meeting was held with the premier class teams to inform them that unidirectional communication will make its debut in racing next season.
This means that riders will only be able to receive audio messages from Race Direction, as early warnings for risky situations. Therefore, 2025 will be a test season, and then the system will be improved in the future. To prepare as best as possible, a race test is scheduled for the last GP in 2024 in Valencia.
The innovation has divided the MotoGP riders: Aleix Espargarò said he was enthusiastic about it, Pecco Bagnaia is among its most fervent detractors ("Rather than use it, I'll pay a fine at every GP"), Marc Marquez put on a good face ("I'm in favor for the show, but not for the essence of our sport").
As mentioned, for now, it's going to just be about receiving messages. There will be no dialogue between riders and pits, like we've been used to hearing in Formula 1, but that's the ultimate goal.
When will this happen? It depends a lot on the technology used and the investment. The tests in Misano weren't successful. The only one promoting them was Espargarò, but the other riders involved, including Quartararo, explained that it's difficult to hear.
I was able to listen to an audio of the trial, and the rider complained that he could hear his technician's voice but couldn't distinguish the words.
Bone conduction headphones are used for radio communications. These particular earphones emit small vibrations on the bones of the jawbone that are then transmitted to the ear, which is free to hear the surrounding sounds (it's not "plugged up" like with normal earphones). That's all well and good when you're standing still in the pits, but the MotoGPs overpower all other sounds on the track.
Furthermore, for the system to work at its best, antennas must be placed along the track for transmission, which means assembling and disassembling them for each GP. The technology exists, but they have to figure out how much they're willing to spend to get the best results.
The MotoGP audio revolution has already begun ... and it won't be stopped.
