MotoGP: airbags to become mandatory

A new update of the rules in MotoGP has a few clarifications of what we already knew, and a little confusion about other things. First, airbags will now be compulsory from the 2018 season.

This is possible because the current manufacturers of rider airbags, Dainese and Alpinestars, have agreed to share their technology under licence with the other manufacturers of riding suits in MotoGP. Another rule enforces the cost-cutting for aerodynamics. Winglets will be banned entirely, but even fairing and front mudguard designs will have to be homologated before the season begins, and just a single upgrade will be allowed per season. 

There is a loophole in it, though - the aero rules apply individually to each rider. In the current season, there are nine Ducati motorcycles, so theoretically Ducati will be able to submit nine different fairing designs to the authorities, and update it once for each rider, thus offering the benefit of all nine upgrades to the rider who gets the final update. This will be very expensive, of course, but it is entirely possible that a team with enough money might try this procedure out.