A minor error in the setup of Fabio Quartararo’s Yamaha had major consequences at Silverstone—Here’s how his 16-second penalty actually came about
An error in the setup of Fabio Quartararo’s Yamaha was the reason for the penalty imposed at Silverstone, which knocked him out of the points.
Fabio Quartararo lost the points he had earned at Silverstone due to a 16-second penalty and dropped to 16th place. Such a penalty is normally imposed when a rider has not completed enough laps with a tire pressure that, for safety reasons, is above the minimum value prescribed by Michelin. However, that was not the case on Sunday.
The Yamaha rider was penalized because the pressure readings from his front tire were simply not recorded by the monitoring system. The penalty ruling stated that “the sensor ID had not been registered in the receiver’s database.” This situation was the result of a procedural error by Quartararo’s team.
The pressure sensors mounted on the rims, as well as the unit responsible for wireless reception and storage of their data—the so-called Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)—are provided by the French company OnRace Motorsports for the entire championship.
Each manufacturer is then responsible for managing its inventory of sensors, installing them on the motorcycles, and configuring the system.
A problem detected during the race
During the race, data from the front tire pressure sensor on Quartararo’s motorcycle was not transmitted in real time to the championship organizers. Danny Aldridge, MotoGP’s technical director, asked OnRace Motorsports to analyze the problem after the race ended.
The first step was to verify whether the sensor was functioning. To do this, the sensor’s parameters—such as pressure, temperature, and battery level—were read using a device available to all teams. The tire pressure was then compared to the pressure recorded by Michelin using a pressure gauge. Both readings were identical, so the sensor was functioning properly.
However, no communication was established between the system mounted on the motorcycle and the ECU, which is connected to the championship’s systems during the race. Further investigations were to determine whether the problem originated from the system itself or arose during the preparation of the motorcycle.
The sensor was not registered in the receiver
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System requires prior configuration. Each manufacturer must register the identification numbers of the sensors used on its motorcycles in the receiver. Additionally, the system must know whether each sensor is assigned to the front or rear wheel.
The analysis revealed that the sensor mounted on the rim of Quartararo’s motorcycle was not included in the list of sensors stored in the receiver’s memory. The sensor itself was therefore fully functional, but the receiver could not identify it and was unable to receive its data.
Since no signs of a defect were found in any component, this could only have been an oversight on Yamaha’s part during the setup of the motorcycle prior to the race.
This constitutes a violation of the regulations. Responsibility for this is clearly defined in Article 2.4.4.9.1: Manufacturers must ensure that the sensors mounted on their motorcycles are correctly registered and that the measurement system is functioning properly before the race.
The championship has been monitoring tire data since Silverstone 2023—that is, for three years. To date, no team has been confronted with such an oversight.
System Aims 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 provided for such cases are specifically designed to clarify whether a potential data loss is due to a technical problem or a configuration error. The responsibilities between the system provider and the teams are clearly defined.
The technical documentation provided to manufacturers describes the procedure to be followed. This includes, in particular, the so-called “Permit List,” which lists the sensor IDs assigned to the front and rear wheels.
Manufacturers must correctly register the sensor IDs in the “Permit List” so that each motorcycle can recognize the sensors assigned to it. In addition, they must regularly check the condition of the sensor batteries and their voltage to ensure that the sensors function until the end of the race.
If a sensor fails during a practice session or race, the cause is investigated. If a sensor is functioning properly but was not registered in the receiver, this is considered a configuration error attributable to the team.
On Quartararo’s motorcycle, the sensor was functioning perfectly, its pressure reading was correct, and no error was detected in the system. The problem was solely that the data was missing from the receiver’s memory. This procedural error resulted in the 16-second penalty being imposed.
