The set-up error behind Quartararo’s British GP penalty

Fabio Quartararo lost the points he had originally scored at last weekend’s MotoGP British Grand Prix, plummeting to 16th place with a 16-second penalty.

This penalty is usually imposed when a rider has not completed enough laps with tyre pressure above the level specified by Michelin for safety reasons, but that was not the case on Sunday.

The Yamaha rider was penalised because the pressure readings from his front tyre were simply not recorded by the monitoring system. The stewards’ decision stated that “the sensor ID had not been recorded in the receiver database”. This unusual situation was the result of a procedural error made by Quartararo’s team before the race.

The pressure sensors, fitted to the rims, along with the unit responsible for receiving and storing their data wirelessly – the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) – are supplied to the entire championship by French company OnRace Motorsports. It is then up to each manufacturer to manage its fleet of sensors, fit them to the motorbikes and configure the system.

A problem identified during the race

During the race, data from the front tyre pressure sensor on Quartararo’s bike was not transmitted in real time to the championship organisers. Danny Aldridge, MotoGP’s technical director, asked OnRace Motorsports to analyse the problem once the race had finished.

The first step was to check that the sensor was working by comparing the pressure it measured – using a device available to all teams for reading the sensor’s parameters (pressure, temperature and battery level) – with the pressure recorded by Michelin using a pressure gauge.

The two readings turned out to be identical. The sensor was therefore functioning correctly and providing a consistent pressure reading. However, no communication was established between the system fitted to the machine and the motorbike’s ECU, which is linked to the championship’s systems during the race.

Further investigations were therefore carried out to determine whether the problem stemmed from the system itself or from human error during the preparation of the motorbike.

The sensor was not listed in the receiver

The TPMS relies on prior configuration. Each manufacturer must register the identification numbers of the sensors used on its motorbikes in the receiver. The system must also know whether each sensor is assigned to the front or rear wheel.

The analysis quickly identified the source of the problem: the sensor fitted to the rim of Quartararo’s motorbike was not included in the list of sensors stored in the receiver’s memory. The sensor was therefore fully operational, but the receiver could not identify it and was consequently unable to receive its data.

As no component showed any signs of failure, this could only have been an oversight on Yamaha’s part when setting up the bike, which constitutes a breach of the regulations.

This responsibility is clearly set out in Article 2.4.4.9.1: manufacturers must ensure that the sensors fitted to their bikes are correctly registered and that the measurement system is functioning before the race.

The championship has been monitoring tyres since Silverstone 2023, three years ago. Until now, no team had faced an omission of this kind.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

A system designed to prevent unjustified penalties

A failure of the sensor or the TPMS system does not automatically result in a penalty for a rider or a team. The procedures are designed, in particular, to determine whether a potential lack of data stems from a technical issue or a configuration error, following verification procedures. These procedures are important because there is a clear division of responsibilities between the system supplier and the teams.

The technical documentation provided to manufacturers explains the procedure to be followed. In particular, it includes an authorisation list, known as a ‘permit list’, which details the sensor identifiers assigned to the front and rear wheels.

There are two aspects for which the manufacturers are directly responsible. The first is to correctly register the sensor identifiers in the permit list, so that each motorbike can recognise the sensors assigned to it. The second is to regularly check the condition of the sensor batteries and their voltage levels, to ensure they will continue to function until the finish.

If a sensor fails during a practice session or the race, an investigation is launched to determine the cause. When a sensor is functioning correctly but has not been registered in the receiver, this constitutes a configuration error attributable to the team.

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– The Autosport.com Team