Understanding the MotoGP Double Long Lap Penalty

How Stewards Issue and Time the Penalty

Race stewards communicate a double long lap penalty by sending an alert directly to the rider dashboard, alongside messages sent to official timekeeping and television monitors so the pit crew can prepare their pit board. The official deadline does not start at the moment the foul occurs. Under FIM regulations, the lap counter begins only when the motorcycle crosses the finish line for the first time following the dashboard notification, giving the rider a window of five laps to complete both passes.

Riding the Penalty Corridor

Understanding how MotoGP double long lap penalties are served requires looking at the designated runoff route marked on the asphalt outside a chosen turn. Riders must steer through this marked loop on two distinct laps rather than taking both consecutively in a single lap. Throughout each attempt, the motorcycle must stay completely inside the white painted boundaries without cutting the line, cannot overtake another machine inside the corridor, and must re-enter the racing line without impeding or endangering nearby competitors.

Cautions and Missed Windows

On-track conditions can temporarily pause the penalty window. If marshals display yellow flags or caution signals across the penalty corner, the rider cannot enter the designated lane; each lap where the lane is unavailable adds another lap to their total serving allowance. Should a race end before the penalty can be signalled, or if a red flag stops the event, stewards apply an equivalent time addition or carry the sanction over to the restart. However, if a rider simply ignores or fails to finish both loops within the initial five-lap limit, stewards escalate the punishment to a pit lane ride-through penalty, which must be served within three laps to avoid being disqualified by a black flag.

Official reference: https://www.fim-moto.com/fileadmin/2026_GP_Sporting_Regulations_-_Updates_13_Sept__26.pdf?t=1792877218.