Overview
- The Grand Prix Commission announced on Monday that front ride-height ‘holeshot’ devices are banned with immediate effect and will not be used at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix in Assen.
- Grid row spacing will increase from three metres to four metres for all classes starting at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring, keeping the three-rider-per-row format but extending inter-row distance from nine to 12 metres.
- A manufacturer cap limiting each marque to six machines on the MotoGP grid was set for the 2028 season and will apply only if at least five manufacturers remain in the championship.
- Holeshot devices reduce wheelies to aid launches but require strong front inputs to disengage, a behaviour cited by officials as a factor in recent turn-one crashes; riders practised starts without the device at Brno and remain divided on whether the change improves safety.
- Teams and riders must adapt tactically and technically: the grid change raises closing speeds for riders further back, qualifying gains importance, and the six-bike cap aims to curb data and development advantages that larger manufacturer fleets previously produced.