Manufacturers against introduction of MotoGP dashboard messaging

The bosses of MotoGP's manufacturers are not convinced the series needs any extra form of communication between teams and riders

Organisers have been developing a system dubbed 'virtual boarding' over the last year, which would give crews the scope to send pitboard-style messages to a riders' dashboard.

On-track tests are scheduled to start at next month's Aragon round, and while riders are split, Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizoso are among those who can see the benefits.

However, bosses for Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki's MotoGP programmes are less convinced, agreeing that it was not in line with the fabric of motorcycle racing.

"In MotoGP, once the race starts, the communication comes only from the pit board, everything is under the riders' decision," Kouichi Tsuji, Yamaha MotoGP group leader, said.

"Sometimes it is not good for the results, especially for Yamaha, but sometimes it makes a very good race.

"I want to keep current communication, rather than more communication between the rider and the garage."

Honda's Shuhei Nakamoto and Ducati's Gigi Dall'Igna remain at odds on MotoGP's winglets ban, but both cited cost as a reason not to pursue the dashboard messaging.

"Formula 1 has a telemetry system and also a communication system," Nakamoto said.

"That system is quite useful to the manage of the revs, and so on. But at the same time the cost was huge.

"I'm interested from the technology point of view, but I don't think we need this kind of communication system for MotoGP."

Dall'Igna added: "The communication between team and rider could be useful in some races, above all in the flag-to-flag races.

"But frankly speaking, I would prefer to spend money developing the technology of the bike."