How Does the Flag System Work in MotoGP™?

02 Apr 2025

Curious about MotoGP™ flag rules? Discover how red, black, and all other flags impact races and rider safety. Get the full guide now!

Overview of how the flag system works in MotoGP™

MotoGP™ flag meanings are vital for all riders and teams to understand and when flags are waved the riders must react accordingly and immediately under the rules of MotoGP™.

Marshals and other officials display flags to provide information and/or convey instructions to the riders. It is the obligation of the riders and their teams to respond immediately when the flags used in MotoGP™ are displayed, depending on various scenarios which can play out in practice, qualifying and racing.

Flags are waved at flag marshal points around the track under the instruction of Race Direction and the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel. These are officials whose job is to implement the rules of MotoGP™, to uphold sporting competition on track and maintain rider safety.

Rules and Regs, Black Flag and Orange circle

Types of MotoGP™ flags and their meanings

This is the full list of the flags used under MotoGP™ flag rules and a definition of their significance.

MotoGP™ flag	MotoGP™ flag meanings
Green flag	The track is clear. This flag must be waved at each flag marshal post for the first lap of each practice session and of the warm up session, for the sighting lap and warm up lap before each race. This flag must also be waved at the flag marshal post after any incident that necessitated the use of one or more yellow flags, once conditions are safe again.
Yellow and Red striped flag	Adhesion on a section of the track could be affected by any reason other than rain, giving unexpected surface conditions. This can include isolated damp patches on a dry track, (oil, gravel, grass or other debris).
White flag with diagonal red cross	Drops of rain on this section of the track including rain affecting the track surface.
Blue flag	Indicates to a rider that they are about to be overtaken. During the practice sessions, the rider concerned must allow the faster rider to pass. During the race, the rider concerned is about to be lapped. They must allow the rider(s) who are lapping them to pass at the earliest opportunity.
Chequered Black and White flag	Waved at the finish line to indicate the finish of race or practice session.
Chequered Black and White flag and Blue flag together	The chequered will be waved together with the blue flag at the finish line when a trailing rider(s) precedes closely the leader during the final lap before the finish line.
Yellow flag on starting grid	Waved at each row of the starting grid, this flag indicates that the start of the race is delayed. Waved at one row (or more) of the starting grid, this flag indicates that a rider on that row is having difficulties.
Yellow flag around the track	A single yellow flag waved at a flag marshal post anywhere around the track indicates that there is a danger ahead beside the track. The riders must slow down and proceed with caution.
Two Yellow flags around the track	Two yellow flags waved together at a flag marshal post anywhere around the track indicate that there is a hazard wholly or partly blocking the track. The riders must slow down and proceed with caution.
White flag	Waved at the flag marshal post during the race, this flag indicates that the riders are allowed to change machine (for example in the case of rain and the race being declared wet whilst it is taking place). Only the Race Direction can take this decision and it means the race is now under ‘flag-to-flag’ rules, as explained here.
Red flag	When the race or practice is being interrupted (typically due to safety reasons), the red flag will be waved at each flag marshal post and the red lights around the track will be switched on. Riders must return carefully to the pit lane. When the pit-lane exit is closed, the light will be switched on, and the red flag may be used in conjunction with the official red light signal. Riders are not allowed to exit the pit lane.
Black flag	This flag is used to convey instructions to one rider only that they are disqualified and is waved at each flag marshal post together with the rider’s number. The rider must stop at the pits at the end of the current lap and cannot restart, when this flag results from a penalty.
Black flag with orange disk	This flag is used to convey instructions to one rider only and is waved at each flag marshal post together with the rider’s number. This flag informs the rider that their motorcycle has mechanical problems likely to endanger themselves or others, and that they must immediately leave the track. The rider cannot rejoin the track unless authorised to do so by an official.

The FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations also stipulate that for the flags used in MotoGP™, ‘the flag dimension should be 80 cms in the vertical and 100 cms in the horizontal. The flag dimension will be checked the day preceding the day of the first practice session.’

MotoGP™ Rules & Regs: Yellow Flags

MotoGP™ Race Director Mike Webb explains all you need to know about single and double flags, infringements and possible penalties

MotoGP™ Rules & Regs: Yellow Flags

MotoGP™ Race Director Mike Webb explains all you need to know about single and double flags, infringements and possible penalties

What happens if riders disobey MotoGP™ flag rules

Penalties can be imposed on the riders if they fail to acknowledge the relevant flags whilst they are on track.

For example, during a MotoGP™ race, overtaking is forbidden where yellow flags are being waved, up until the point where the green flag is waved. An infringement of this rule will result in a penalty.

Penalties imposed on riders during races are communicated via dashboard signals (where possible) and boards displayed for the rider on the start/finish line. If the rider does not comply they will be penalised.

Penalties that can be applied to riders include the following and they are communicated to the riders either through their dashboards or the pit boards displayed by the teams to their riders on the pit wall of the start/finish straight:

Change of position: rider must drop the number of positions decided by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel due to an infringement (e.g. they must concede positions to rider(s) behind them on track)
Long Lap Penalty: rider must go through the pre-defined route of the Long Lap. This is an additional area of track outside the racing line, which adds 2-4 seconds to a riders lap time when they pass through it.
Long Lap Penalty: rider must go through the pre-defined route of the Long Lap twice.
Ride through: the rider is obliged to ride through the pit lane. Stopping is not permitted and they must stick to the 60km/h speed limit in pit lane. The rider may then rejoin the race.
Time penalties: the adding of time affecting the rider’s actual result up to two minutes and the cancellation of fast lap times in practice or qualifying.

Long lap penalty introduced

Light systems used in conjunction with MotoGP™ flags

In addition to the flag system in MotoGP™, there is also a lights system which similarly dictates specific safety protocols. These are the main types of lights used in MotoGP™,

Green Light: This light must be switched on at the pit lane exit to signal the start of each practice session and of the warm up, the start of the sighting lap(s) and the warm up lap before races.

Flashing Blue Lights: These are switched on at the pit lane exit during practices and races, one minute after the green light which opens pit lane, and will be switched off when the red light is displayed.

Red lights: When the race or practice is being stopped or paused, in addition to red flags being waved, red lights will be switched on around the track. Riders must return slowly to the pits.

Red light, Mandalika MotoGP™ Official Test

How flags affect MotoGP™ race proceedings

As a fundamental and integral part of the World Championship’s rules and as a key feature of races, MotoGP™ flags impact the sport in a number of different ways.

Rider behaviour, rider safety, overall race strategy, race results and the outcome of the championship are all affected by the use of flags to uphold the rules and to ensure safety.

The flag system also permits MotoGP™ riders to change bikes in pit lane during races in certain conditions, when white flags to indicate a wet race are shown at trackside.

Check out our article here on how MotoGP™ riders switch bikes during races under flag-to-flag rules. That article contains some examples of famous instances in which flag-to-flag races took place.

One of those was at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, with the former MotoGP™ tyre supplier Bridgestone calculating that their tyres could not last full race distance on a recently resurfaced Phillip Island track.

In this exceptional circumstance the decision was made pre-race that the MotoGP™ riders would have to make an obligatory change to a second bike with new tyres, specifically on laps nine or 10, following the flag-to-flag procedure.

A miscalculation saw Marc Marquez make his bike change too late and he saw the black flag as he was disqualified. Ultimately the mistake was only a mere blip for Marquez as he went on to his first MotoGP™ title at the end of his debut, making him the youngest ever premier class champion.

Red Flag, Gran Premio D'Italia Oakley

Red flags are not uncommon in MotoGP™ in practice sessions, qualifying and races, typically being shown after a crash, when the safety of track conditions or those who crashed could be compromised by continuing.

Memorably the red flags and the red light system were used at the 2020 Austrian GP after a big crash for Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli at Turn 3.

Footage of the crash from every angle on the MotoGP™ YouTube channel clearly shows why the red flags were shown after the incident and you will also notice the diligent trackside marshals also waving the Yellow and Red Striped flags and the Yellow flags as soon as the accident occurred.

The chequered flag is perhaps the best known in motorsport and it has been waved by some notably guest marshals at MotoGP™ in recent times. The 2024 MotoGP™ season saw Jose Mourinho (Portuguese GP), Keanu Reeves (German GP), former F1 driver Mark Webber (Australian GP) and even Sonic the Hedgehog (Americas GP) waving the chequered flag at the end of the races there.

Want to know more about the rules and regulations of MotoGP™? Check out our video explainers right here: https://www.motogp.com/en/videopass/collections/rules-and-regs