In MotoGP, to be fast and competitive, the rider has to manage many aspects – it’s not just about riding the bike itself, which already demands a lot from a technical standpoint.
Modern bikes require a rider to manage much more than just the throttle, clutch, brakes, and handlebars – including all the electronics and aspects such as tire pressure or even holeshot devices and height adjustments.
Ruben Xaus, a former rider and current commentator, discussed this array of aspects to control when riding a MotoGP bike, stating on the Dura la Vita podcast after the Qatar GP:
– All of this is a lot, but for a rider, when they grow, it makes them think a lot on the bike, create a strategy, and take certain controlled risks – because it makes them think much more on the bike. In other words, this management situation that you have to deal with from the first moment of the weekend makes you work much harder – it’s not just about riding, being fast, and accelerating. Riding, accelerating, on top of that touching the device, touching the holeshot, looking at the screen, sending small messages to the crew chief.