PEDRO ACOSTA PRAISES IMPROVED EARPLUGS FOR DORNA’S MOTOGP COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

MotoGP is continuing to develop an in-helmet radio communication system for riders, with the project still focused on improving how drivers can receive information during races. The initial goal is to deliver safety-relevant messages directly from race control to the rider’s ear. In the longer term, the technology could evolve toward two-way communication, similar to the driver-to-pitlane exchanges familiar from Formula 1.

A key part of the work is comfort, because any audio hardware has to be wearable for the full duration of a Grand Prix. Red Bull KTM’s Pedro Acosta tested an updated set of earplugs at the Sachsenring and then again in Silverstone. Speaking during the British Grand Prix weekend, Acosta said the latest version represented a meaningful step forward.

“The are the earplugs Dorna wants to use for the audio system. But it was, so to speak, the first test,” Acosta explained. He added that he is particularly sensitive when it comes to earplugs, yet felt the new design struck a good balance: “They found a good compromise. I’m pretty satisfied with that.”

Acosta also described how the new construction matched what he already likes. He typically uses classic 3M foam earplugs, which he has relied on since he was 16. According to Acosta, the development team managed to combine that preferred feel with a new, individually shaped form. “They found a way to combine the earplugs I like with a new, individually adapted form,” he said.

For Acosta, the priority is not only whether the system works, but whether it can be worn day after day. “I don’t know how they will further develop the audio thing, but the minimum is that it has to be comfortable,” he said.

He contrasted the latest trial with earlier attempts. “The others, the ones we tried before, weren’t okay,” Acosta said. With the newest version, he chose to use the earplugs voluntarily at both recent Grands Prix. “I wore them at the Sachsenring and here. But I wear them because I find them comfortable. If it wasn’t like that, I would go back to the normal ones.”

While the comfort progress is clear, a specific timeline for when MotoGP’s radio system will be introduced has not been announced.