At a glance
A rider penalised with a MotoGP double Long Lap penalty must ride through the designated asphalt runoff loop twice within five laps of receiving official notification.
- Notification: The FIM MotoGP Stewards transmit the penalty directly to the rider's dashboard display, while timekeeping and television monitors notify the team.
- Serving deadline: The lap count starts on the first crossing of the finish line after the dashboard message is sent, giving the rider a strict window of five laps to complete both loops.
- Route execution: Both passes must follow the pre-defined runoff route within its painted white boundary lines, without exceeding track limits or overtaking.
- Yellow flag pauses: Riders cannot enter the penalty lane if yellow flags or caution signals cover the area; each unusable lap adds an extra lap to the serving window.
- Escalation: Failing to complete both loops within five laps escalates the sanction to a pit lane ride-through (or another penalty decided by the FIM MotoGP Stewards).
In this article
Notification and the Five-Lap Serving Window
When the FIM MotoGP Stewards issue a 2x Long Lap Penalty during a race, the instruction is officially communicated to the rider via dashboard signals. The penalty is simultaneously relayed to the team through official timekeeping systems and television monitors, enabling crew members to signal their rider using a physical pit board if desired.
Under Article 1.19.2 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations, the compliance clock does not begin at the moment of the infraction or steward decision. Instead, the count of the number of laps to comply starts on the first crossing of the finish line after the dashboard message has been transmitted to the rider. The rider must complete the two Long Laps within five laps of that notification.
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Navigating the Designated Route
The Long Lap route is a dedicated, pre-defined path situated on an asphalt runoff area on the outside of a designated corner. It is defined by painted white lines on either side, which are notified to teams prior to the first practice session of the race weekend.
To serve the double penalty, the rider must navigate this elongated route on two separate laps. While executing the penalty, the rider must observe several strict procedural conditions:
- Track limits: The motorcycle must stay strictly within the white lines defining the Long Lap corridor. Any line infractions may result in the stewards ordering the penalty to be repeated or imposing another penalty.
- No overtaking: Overtaking another competitor is forbidden within the Long Lap route.
- Safe rejoin: The rider carrying out the penalty is responsible for leaving and re-joining the track to follow the designated route safely, without disturbing or endangering other riders. Infractions will be strongly penalised.
Caution Exceptions and Conversions
Specific on-track conditions govern when the penalty loops may be taken:
- Yellow flag restrictions: A Long Lap penalty must not be carried out when there are yellow flags covering the penalty area. If the zone is unusable due to yellow flags or signals, extra lap(s) are added to the number of laps allowed to comply.
- Race interruptions: If a race is interrupted prior to a long lap penalty being carried out, the rider will be required to carry out a long lap penalty in the second part if the race is restarted, or another penalty such as an equivalent time penalty, as decided by the FIM MotoGP Stewards.
- End-of-race conversion: If the organisation has been unable to, or has decided not to signal the long lap penalty before the end of the race, the rider will be inflicted with an equivalent time penalty, or other penalty applied as decided by the FIM MotoGP Stewards.
Escalation for Noncompliance
Failing to complete both Long Lap loops within the allotted five-lap serving window triggers procedural escalation rather than an equivalent time conversion.
If a rider does not complete the 2x Long Lap Penalty within five laps following penalty notification, they will be penalised with a pit lane ride-through (or other penalty as decided by the FIM MotoGP Stewards). During a ride-through, the rider must enter the pit lane, respect the pit lane speed limit without stopping, and rejoin the track. If the rider fails to complete the ride-through within three laps following penalty notification, that rider will be shown the black flag/signal.
This escalation for noncompliance is entirely distinct from an ordinary end-of-race equivalent time penalty, which applies predetermined lost-time values when a late-race infraction leaves insufficient laps to display or serve the sanction naturally.
