Pedro Acosta believes MotoGP’s move towards banning front holeshot devices at the start of races in the near future will create new dangers if the rear device is not removed at the same time.
MotoGP is already set to remove ride height devices entirely when the new regulations come in for 2027, but its bosses have expressed a desire to ban the front device, used only at race starts, early in the wake of recent first-corner accidents.
As reported earlier this month, there are plans to bring in the front device ban for the British Grand Prix in August – but Acosta says it’s no good doing half a ban.
Several of the riders tried starting without the front device following Czech Grand Prix practice at Brno on Friday. Opinions varied on the time frame and viability of the proposed ban, with Acosta saying it would only work if both front and rear devices were removed.
The KTM star pointed to potential complications that could arise if the rear holeshot device failed to release under braking for the first corner. He pointed out that while you could still ride if the front device remained engaged, it would be a different story if a rear device did the same without a front device to counter it.
“With the rear down, you cannot turn,” he said after comfortably making it into Saturday’s Q2 session. “The front is in the air, I would say.”
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
“Everything or nothing,” added the Spaniard. “[Just going] without [the front] holeshot, I’m not sure it’s the safest thing. If I took them off, I would take them both off. And I would also take them off directly for the rest of the year.
“It’s the most unnatural thing you can put on the bike. If I take them off, I take them all off, [or] I don’t take anything off. Because with the front activated, you can still do the turns.”
Among other riders, there was a general feeling that more trials were needed before rushing into a change.
“It’s not a safe solution to immediately remove it,” said world championship leader Marco Bezzecchi. “So, it’s better to try it a couple of times more. At least one or two weekends more, to really understand. And then speak all together and understand what we will do.”
“We need to practice a bit more,” added Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo. “We can really practice from FP1 [at the next race]. We need a bit more time to adjust. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but it’s a matter of getting used to it.”
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