PETRUCCI CALLS FOR SAFER MOTO GP STARTS AFTER ZARCO CRASH IN BARCELONA

Johann Zarco’s heavy crash during the Barcelona MotoGP restart in May has reignited debate about safety at the start—especially the run to Turn 1, where riders must brake hard while the field is still tightly packed. The Frenchman suffered a serious injury to his left knee after the collision, and the incident has prompted former MotoGP racer Danilo Petrucci to point to both braking limits and circuit/start-position factors.

Petrucci, who has experience in MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship, argued that the core problem is not simply that riders need to brake harder, but that there is a point beyond which additional braking pressure does not improve deceleration. In an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, he explained: “If you brake even harder with these bikes, the deceleration isn’t better. As soon as the rear wheel loses contact with the ground, the deceleration doesn’t improve anymore.”

From there, he focused on what happens when a rider is late for the braking zone. “If you’re too late, you’ve already lost,” Petrucci said. “Then you have to find a way to avoid the other riders.” His comments underline why start-line incidents can escalate quickly: after the lights go out, many riders are side-by-side, all converging on the same braking point for the first corner. If one rider arrives late, the remaining options to prevent a crash are limited.

Petrucci also questioned the value of certain technical solutions aimed at squeezing more performance from MotoGP machines. He criticized ride-height devices, noting that they are not helpful for safety. “The ride-height device is of course no help,” he said. He added that while the technology can improve performance, it is something he does not see as necessary outside prototype racing: “It’s nothing you would ever see on a production motorcycle. Sure, it improves performance, but it’s something you don’t need in the real world.”

According to the report, the front ride-height device is already banned, and the systems are set to disappear completely with the new technical regulations in 2027.

Beyond the bikes, Petrucci believes the track layout and the placement of the grid can influence how fast riders reach the first braking event. For Barcelona, he offered a specific proposal: move the start grid forward toward Turn 1, without changing the finish line. “You could move the grid, not the finish line, a bit further forward,” Petrucci suggested. “For me, it would be a good solution if the grid were closer to Turn 1.”

His reasoning is tied to the speed riders carry into the first corner. He said Barcelona is a case where riders approach Turn 1 at close to 300 km/h before braking heavily for the first time. “The track layout is decisive,” he emphasized. He also highlighted that the character of Turn 1 matters: Barcelona has only one line, whereas other venues offer more room for alternative lines. “In Barcelona there’s only one line. In Mugello it’s different. You come into Turn 1 with a similar pace, but it’s quite wide. If needed, you can choose another line.”

By shifting the grid forward, Petrucci argued, the acceleration distance would be shortened, meaning riders would reach Turn 1 with less speed—potentially reducing the severity of the braking challenge—without requiring changes to the overall circuit.

He said the idea is not limited to MotoGP. Petrucci reported that a similar discussion has taken place in the Superbike World Championship. “In the Superbike World Championship there was also the idea of moving the start line,” he said. “In Most, it’s always difficult at the first chicane. That’s why we’ve wanted for two years to move the start line. I think it’s a good solution.” Most is known for a tight first chicane, where the field meets a section with little room for different lines.

Ultimately, Petrucci does not expect a single definitive fix, because he sees a recurring cycle between technical development and regulation. “The bikes get faster year by year. New problems keep emerging,” he said. He described the tension between engineering goals and rulemaking: “Engineers want to make the bikes faster, the rules want to slow them down. But it’s the engineers’ job to build even better bikes.”

In that context, his Barcelona-focused suggestion aims to reduce risk immediately by altering the approach to the most critical first-corner braking zone—giving riders, in the event of a late braking moment, the crucial meters that could help prevent contact.