Plans to ban the so-called ‘leg wings’ in MotoGP next year have been put on hold, with no objective safety risks identified from their use by Aprilia and Honda.
The aerodynamic appendages, positioned immediately behind riders’ legs on the side of the seat, were introduced by Aprilia on the RS-GP and later adopted by Honda for its RC213V.
The issue of rider safety arose immediately after the Valencia test day, which followed the final GP of the 2025 campaign. Concerns centred on whether the leg wings could keep a rider attached to the bike in the event of a crash, potentially creating a dangerous situation.
The topic quickly became heated because the 2025 season had not seen any incidents that warranted a safety debate over these solutions.
In response, the FIM circulated a directive to teams that would have outlawed the appendages from the opening round of the 2026 campaign.
“The part of the motorcycle that is between 800mm and 500mm in front of the vertical line touching the rear edge of the rear tyre must not exceed, viewed from above, a conical area ranging from a width of 450mm to 500mm in front of the vertical line touching the rear edge of the rear tyre, with the exception of the footpegs/controls/supports and the exhaust pipe covers, which are contained within a 20mm offset from the outer surface of the exhaust pipes,” it stated.
However, the proposal, based on the issue of rider safety, failed to secure the unanimity required to introduce a regulatory change without the usual notice period.
There was predictable opposition from both Aprilia and Honda, which had invested considerable resources in studying new appendages in the wind tunnel to improve their bikes’ stability.
On the other hand, attempts were made to use safety concerns to block this new development avenue, with certain manufacturers putting pressure on the idea to prevent it from moving forward.
Ultimately, everything remains the same, and FIM will revisit the topic in 2027 when MotoGP bikes undergo a complete overhaul with the introduction of new regulations. These new rules, headlined by the switch to smaller-capacity 850cc engines, will impose significant aerodynamic restrictions.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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