WSBK Rules

Subject: WSBK Rules Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:40 am

Quote :: 1.15.1 Limitations on private practice
This rule prohibits private practice sessions on the circuits listed in the championship calendar after the conclusion of the year’s first weekend of racing, with the following exceptions:
a) one practice session within six days of the next race, on the circuit where it will be held, open to all riders;
b) practice sessions on any circuit after a championship race has been held there;
c) practice on the two test circuits designated by each team;
d) official practice sessions organised by FGSport with the approval of the FIM;
e) official practice for national championships organised by the national federations who license the rider in question.
This is the rule that led to the disqualification of Fabien Foret from the Monza race in 2005. The French rider had taken part in practice on the Monza circuit only a few days before the race.
1.15.6 The 107% rule
To qualify for each race, riders must record a practice lap time no longer than 107% the time recorded by the pole position rider. Exceptions to this rule may be made only at the discretion of Race Direction.
1.16.4 Wet superpole
There are two rules establishing that a wet superpole session must be organised as follows:
a) 50 minutes of timed laps for all 16 riders qualifying to take part in the Superpole;
b) each rider may complete no more than 12 laps;
c) each exit from the pits will be taken as a completed lap;
d) if a rider performs 13 laps, the lap with the fastest time will be cancelled; if he performs 14, the two fastest laps will be cancelled, and so on.
1.16.5 Interruptions to the superpole session
If a dry superpole is interrupted by rain, the 16 placings are determined in the following way:
a) the pit lane is closed and the red flag shown;
b) an interval of 15 minutes is enforced;
c) the superpole session is restarted as a wet superpole, in accordance with article 1.16.4.
d) all times recorded during the dry part of the session are cancelled.
1.16.6 Superpole results
This rule determines how riders participating in the superpole are placed in the event of a fall or a withdrawal due to force majeure. If, for example, one of the top four riders in the timed practice session falls during the Superpole or fails to take part due to force majeure, the riders classified from eighth place down will be repositioned downwards by one place, and the affected rider will assume eighth place. If more than one rider falls or is forced to withdraw, the same procedure is applied and the superpole placings modified accordingly.
If a rider placed between fourth and ninth in timed practice falls during the Superpole or is prevented from taking part, the riders classified from twelfth place down will be repositioned downwards by one place and the affected rider will assume twelfth place. If a rider classifed lower than eighth place falls or fails to take part, he is simply repositioned at the end of the superpole placing table.
1.18.1 Length of races
Superbike: from a minimum of 90 km to a maximum of 110 km.
Supersport: from a minimum of 90 km to a maximum of 110 km.
Superstock: from a minimum of 40 km to a maximum of 70 km.
1.19 Start procedure
20 minutes before the start of the race, the pit lane opens for the sighting lap.
15 minutes before the start of the race, the pit lane closes again.
(The sighting lap is not obligatory, and riders may choose to push their bikes on to the starting grid at any time up to 5 minutes before the start of the warm up lap.) Riders not present on the starting grid may begin the warm up lap from the pit lane, following the instructions of the track marshall at the exit from the pit lane.
At this stage, the Race Director declares the race dry or wet, and informs the riders of his decision by means of information boards. If no indication is given, the race is assumed to be dry. Up to this moment in time, riders may make modifications to their bikes with the assistance of a team of no more than 5 persons. All work must be completed by the time the board indicating 3 minutes to go to the start of the race is displayed. If a rider needs to continue working on his bike after this time, he must push it into the pit lane, where he may continue to be assisted by his team until 1 minute from the start of the warm up lap. If this occurs, the rider must begin the warm up lap from the pit lane.
When the 3 minute board is displayed, all mechanics must leave the starting grid with the exception of two persons per motorcycle (for starting purposes) plus the rider. When the 1 minute board is displayed, the bikes must be started up, and all persons other than the riders must leave the grid. When the 30 seconds board is displayed, the starter for the warm up lap takes up his position in front of the first row of bikes, holding a red flag. If any rider has failed to start his bike by this time, he must get off and push it to the pits for assistance, starting his warm up lap from the pit lane. At the end of the 30 seconds count-down, the warm up lap starter walks down all the rows of bikes on the starting grid, signalling the riders to move off. For safety reasons, bikes whose engines stop may be restarted only if this can be done quickly; if they fail to start in a reasonable time, they must be pushed into the pit lane. Once all the riders on the track have passed the exit from the pit lane, the riders in the pit lane are allowed to join the warm up lap, and the pit lane is closed thitry seconds later. The warm up lap started in this way is completed when the riders return to the starting grid, followed by the Safety Car. If a rider suffers any mechanical problems, he must notify the race marshals of the fact by raising an arm, so that the start of the race can be delayed. Starts can also be delayed if any marshal notices a problem that could compromise the safety of the start and raises a yellow flag. Provided no problems are encountered, the race starter sigals to the marshal in front of the first row on the grid, and the starting lights are switched on. Switching off the lights (after a delay of between 2 and 5 seconds) signals the start of the race.
Note: refuelling and changing the fuel tank on the starting grid is forbidden.
1.20 Ride through
If a rider is penalised, he is obliged to ride through the pit lane at a speed limited to 60 km/h before rejoining the race. If he fails to respect this speed limit, he will be penalised with another ride through. If a rider fails to respect the speed limit on three occasions, he is shown a black flag and disqualified. Riders are notified of penalties against them by a yellow board at the finishing line and by the monitors of their timing systems. Riders may take up to three laps to complete the ride through. Failure to do so within three laps leads to disqualification.
1.22 Behaviour in practice and the race itself
Riders must obey all signals (flags, lights, and boards) and must ride in such a way as not to put the safety of other riders at risk, both on the track and in the pits. Unsporting behaviour may be penalised by fines, ride throughs, disqualification, or even the subtraction of points already accumulated for the world championship. Riders must ride only on the track or in the pit lane. If they leave the track for any reason, they must rejoin it at a point indicated by a marshal, or in any case, at a point that does not give them any unfair advantage. If a rider suffers mechanical problems on the track, he must make any necessary repairs himself, without assistance. Marshals may only assist riders to move or re-start their machines. In the event of an irreparable mechanical failure, riders must immediately abandon the track and must not attempt to reach the pits at slow speed. If the failure can be repaired, riders may return to the pits, keeping a line as far as possible from the ideal racing line. Riders may return to the pits at any time during the race, but refuelling and changes of motorcycle are prohibited. Riders may not carry passengers on their motorcycles. No signals may be passed between the rider and his team, other than timing transponder data, on-board camera signals, legible messages from the team on clearly displayed boards, and gestures on the part of the rider.

World SBK

Subject: WSBK Rule Continuation Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:42 am

Quote :: 1.26.1 Race interruptions
If the Race Director decides to interrupt the race for changes in the weather or any other reason, red flags will be shown at the finishing line and at all flag marshal posts, and the Race Director will also switch on the red lights aroound the track. When they see this, riders must immediately slow down and return either to the pits or to the starting grid as instructed by the Race Direction. The placings for this part of the race will be those held at the end of the lap prior to the one in which the race leader and all non-lapped riders completed a full lap before the red flags were displayed. The following example clarifies this rule.
Example of a 30 lap race race If the red flag is raised when the race leader has completed nine laps and is on his tenth lap, but not all of the other non-lapped riders have completed their ninth laps, the placings will be those held at the end of the eighth lap and the restarted race will have to complete 22 laps. If the red flag is raised when the race leader and all non-lapped riders have completed nine laps and are on their tenth lap, the placings will be those held at the end of the ninth lap and the restarted race will have to complete 21 laps.
Exception: if the race is interrupted after the chequered flag has been waved, the following procedure is applied:
1) All riders who have passed the chequered flag before the race is interrupted maintain their placings in the last lap of the race.
2) Riders who have not passed the chequered flag when the race is suspended are assigned the positions they held at the end of the penultimate lap of the race.
3) Final placings are calculated by combining the placings of both halves of the race, on the basis of laps completed and race times.
If the race leader and non-lapped riders have not yet completed three whole laps, the race is declared invalid and is restarted from the beginning. If it proves impossible to restart the race, the event is cancelled and will not count towards the world championship (article 1.26.2). If riders have completed at least three laps but less than two thirds of the total distance, the race is restarted whenever possible. If it proves impossible to restart the race, only half of the points available from that race are assigned (article 1.26.3).
If all non-lapped riders have completed at least two thirds of the total distance, full points are awarded as if the race had been completed (article 1.26.4).
1.27 Restarting an interrupted race
If a race is to be restarted, as soon as the riders return to the pits or to the starting grid, the Race Director annnounces what delay there will be before the race start procedure can be repeated. This delay must be no more than 10 minutes from the appearance of the red flags if the riders return to the starting grid, and no more than 20 minutes if they return to the pits, conditions permitting.
The placings assigned at the end of the first part of the interrupted race must be communicated to the teams before the second part of the race begins. If riders have returned to the pits, the re-start procedure will be identical to a normal start procedure, complete with a sighting lap, etc.. If the riders are already in place on the starting grid, the re-start procedure begins from the point when the board notifying riders of 5 minutes to go to the start of the sighting lap is displayed.
Conditions necessary for a restart:
Riders in the pit lane
A) If fewer than three laps were completed before the race was interrupted, all riders may re-start, and bikes may be repaired, changed or even refuelled. The race re-starts with the original starting grid order and runs for its full number of laps.
B) If more than three laps have been completed, only those riders who were classified in the first part of the race may re-start. The number of laps in the second part of the race will be that required to complete the total distance. Bikes may be repaired, changed or refuelled. The order on the starting grid will be determined according to the placings of the first part of the race. Final race placings will be calculated on the basis of total race times from both parts of the race.
Riders on the grid
A) If fewer than three laps were completed before the race was interrupted, all riders may re-start, and bikes may be repaired or changed but not refuelled. The number of laps in the second part of the race will be the total number of laps minus two or three, as announced by the Race Direction. The original starting grid order is maintained.
B) If more than three laps have been completed, only those riders who were classified in the first part of the race may re-start. Bikes may be repaired, changed but not refuelled. The number of laps in the second part of the race will be that requred to complete the total distance, minus two or three, as announced by the Race Direction. The order on the starting grid will be determined according to the placings of the first part of the race. Final race placings will be calculated from the total race times from both parts of the race.
2.1.1 Motorcycle models permitted in Superbike
Motorcycle models permitted in the World Superbike Championship and World Supersport Championship and in the Superstock Cup must be recent or current production models and readily available through normal dealership channels.
2.3.1 Prohibited materials
It is prohibited to use titanium in the manufacture of the frame, fork, handlebars, swingarm and axle pins. Axle pins in particular may not be made from light alloys.
2.4.6.7 Maximum number of tyres available
Each rider has a maximum of 9 front tyres and 13 rear tyres at his disposal for all practice sessions. There is no limit on the number of tyres available for the race itself. or Supersport, the number of practice tyres is limited to 8 front and 10 rear. For Superstock, the number of practice tyres is limited to 3 dry front and 3 dry rear, but there is no limit on the number of wet tyres.
2.4.10 Fuel supply shut-off
All participating motorcycles must be fitted with a button, in easy reach of the hand grips, to switch off the engine. Fuel pumps must be wired in such a way that if the bike falls, the fuel circuit will be shut off within two seconds. This safety system may be checked by the race’s Technical Director. This is the rule that led to the disqualification of Chris Vermeulen from the second race at Monza in 2004.
2.9.2 Homologation and minimum number of machines manufactured
Superstock: Manufacturers must produce at least 1000 bikes prior to homologation, and roadgoing machines must be on sale within 90 days from the date of the homologation inspection. At least 25 machines must be made available for inspection on this date.
Supersport: Manufacturers who manufacture more than 75,000 motorcycles a year must produce at least 1000 of the bikes for which they are requesting homologation, while manufacturers who manufacture fewer than 75,000 need only produce at least 500. The same rules governing sale and inspection apply in both Superstock and Supersport.
Superbike: Any bike already homologated for Superstock may, on application from the manufacturer, also be homologated for Superbike at any time.
Minimum manufacturing volumes for Superbike are as follows. Manufacturers who manufacture more than 100,000 motorcycles a year must produce at least 500 of the bikes for which they are requesting homologation, while manufacturers who manufacture between 50,000 and 100,000 need only produce 250, and those who manufacture less than 50,000 need only produce 150.

World SBK

» WSBK FAQ
» WSBK Titles
» 2k7 WSBK Lineup
» WSBK at Monza
» WSBK at Valencia