Amendment to MotoGP tire regulations
Technical Regulations
2.9. Tire restrictions for MotoGP
2.9.1 Wet tires are not subject to supply restriction.
A wet tire is defined as a tire which has a land to sea ratio of at least 20% overall, and a minimum ratio of 7% in each third of the section profile.
The tire may be molded or hand cut, but each groove must have a minimum depth of three millimeters over 90% of its length.
Any tire with a land to sea ratio of less than 20% will be deemed a slick tire. In case of dispute the decision of the Technical Director will be final.
2.9.2 Prior to the start of the season (defined as the day before the start of the first IRTA MotoGP test of the current year), each team must register the brand of tire it will be using with the Grand Prix Technical Director.
Should a team choose to change its designated brand of tire during the season it must inform the Technical Director in writing prior to the start of scrutineering at the event where the change will take place.
2.9.3 Teams that are supplied by a tire manufacturer that has achieved at least two MotoGP race wins in dry conditions since the first race of the 2005 season will be restricted in the quantity of slick tires that each of the teams riders may use at a single event as follows: During all practice sessions, warm up and the race a maximum of 31 slick tires, specifically –
Front tires: 14
Rear tires: 17
When a tire manufacturer, not subject to the limitation at the beginning of the season, achieves two MotoGP wins in dry conditions during the current season, it will become subject to the restrictions at the third event after the one where the second win was achieved.
2.9.4 Between 12.00 hrs. and 17.00 hrs. on the day prior to the start of official practice, the Technical Director will mark the tires available to each entered rider.
2.9.5 Each motorcycle entering the track fitted with slick or hand cut tires (as defined in Art. 2.9.1) must first have its tires checked for compliance.
2.9.6 In the case of an interrupted race, a rider must use tires from his allocation of marked tires for the restarted race.
2.9.7 In the unlikely event of a tire being accidentally damaged during the fitting process it may be replaced with a tire of the same specification with the permission of the Technical Director. Such replacement tires will be marked and included in the allocation of the rider concerned.
2.9.8 Should an exceptional and unpredictable safety problem arise for a manufacturer during an event, so as to prevent a team supplied with its tires from safely competing in the race, then that manufacturer must inform and prove to the satisfaction of the Technical Director the severity of the problem. The Technical Director may then ask the Race Direction to grant an exemption. Such request must be made before 17.00 hrs. on the day of qualifying practice.
The exemption if granted will apply as follows: Each rider using tires supplied by the manufacturer granted the exemption will be supplied with three tires of a new specification (front and/or rear depending on the determination of the problem). Such replacement tires will be marked by the Technical Director, and only these tires may be used in the race.
A new provisional starting grid will be published with all of the riders supplied with the tires of the manufacturer granted the exemption starting at the rear of the grid in the order of their starting positions.