MotoGP

The pit board: communication channel between the pit wall and the rider

4 minutes 06/06/2015 Last update:27/02/2023

Antonio Multo and Óscar Escoda are Jorge Navarro and Fabio Quartararo’s mechanics, respectively, in the Moto3 World Championship. They are in charge of carrying out an important, timely task that we would like to learn more about: using the pit board to communicate with the rider during the GP.

Moto3 team members with the pit boards
The pit board: communication channel between the pit wall and the rider

There are circuits where riders may have difficulties seeing the pit board due to the braking marker.


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Of all the box members, does the person in charge of showing the pit board to the rider always have the same profile?

Our team’s second mechanic is the one who shows the pit board to the rider while the first mechanic stays in the box and prepares the wheel replacements and adjustments.

During the race, we usually see different signals depending on the first or second rider, but apart from this, what other information can be communicated? Has the pit board ever been used to send a message to mislead a rival?

The pit board can show rider position, the number of laps remaining in the race, time remaining in the training session, number of riders in the group, a quick training lap, entry into the box, ride through, an engine mapping change, if there is a rider close behind, etc. The pit board may also be used to mislead a rival rider, especially in training sessions, but it’s something that we don’t use too often.

Fabio Quartararo dobre la moto en el pitlane con miembros del equipo

How is the information in training sessions different from that in races?

The information is different according to whether we are training or racing. During qualifying sessions, the information is based on (from top to bottom): remaining time, current position, and best session time. During a race, the information depends on the following: remaining laps, position, number of other riders in the rider’s group, and difference between the rider and the chasing group.

Is the rider really able to get a good look at the pit board given the speed at which he normally passes through the final stretch?

The rider normally has a clear view of the information, but there are circuits where the position of the pit board on the signal wall is located next to the braking marker at the end of the final stretch. Due to this, the pit board must be placed where the rider will have enough time to read the information and guide his braking pattern. During the race and depending on the group the rider is in, there may be several pit boards that may get in the way of the rider to be able to read the information.

Is there a series of predetermined messages that summarize information, or does each rider and team use their own codes, abbreviations, etc.?

In this case, the only difference lies in the colours used between the two riders. We use the same abbreviations and codes for both.

Jorge Navarro con Antonio Multo

When it comes to communicating differences with the chasing riders, there have been very different cases: for example, accurately showing the distance or the complete opposite, reducing the differences a bit so that the rider doesn’t let up. In your case, what do you prefer?

To always show the situation as it is. But in some situations, like when another rider is close behind, we show a smaller time difference than the real one, for example marking +0 instead of +0.8.

Have you ever needed to communicate information and not know where to write it on the pit board?

No, at the moment we haven’t found ourselves in that situation. There are many possibilities for the different race situations that we may encounter. The numbers and symbols can be written on both sides of the board, so we can create many combinations.

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