Should squatting devices be regulated?

After the Sepang test during which Ducati released a squatting device (mechanism for lowering the bike at the start and acceleration) which now works at the front as well as at the rear, the system was once again talked about at Mandalika. This time, it is for security reasons that it is criticized by some, like Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia). “I don't like these devices, because we are no longer focused on piloting, explained the Catalan. I'm not saying it's dangerous, but we should talk about it with the race management, because we have to do a lot of things while riding. »

This is an opinion that Johann Zarco (Pramac) does not share, however, who emphasizes that this system is beneficial when it is part of the automation system. “Dangerous, I think it’s not at all, indicated the Frenchman to Mandalika. We accelerate more, but not in dangerous places. With aerodynamics we are safer when we gain speed. Likewise, this system can help us with braking. But it is true that the MotoGP become real dragsters. Then, everyone has their own style. Some like to activate it when braking, others when cornering and others when exiting… I do it when I release my body at the apex point. It's a blow worth taking. We can say that there are so many things to think about that we waste time, but when we start to use it correctly, it adds so much to the acceleration that we force ourselves to do it. serve and it becomes a bit automatic. It's beautiful to see what we are capable of doing when we adapt. »

@Red Bull

In 2017, the regulations banned wings in the premier category, which had caused a lot of discussion for safety reasons in the event of contact with another driver. It was also a matter of restricting their development and therefore limiting costs. Manufacturers have, however, found a way to integrate fins, certainly less imposing than in the past, into the sides of the fairings of their machine. An update of these fairings per driver is authorized during the season (in addition to that approved at the first event). The question then arises of doing the same for the squatting device. “I don’t know how it’s possible to do better, added Zarco. It's hard to say, should we limit it or are we already at the end? I don't know. » The squatting device is therefore becoming more and more sophisticated and it is a safe bet that it has not yet finished making people talk about it.