MotoGP teams often use completely new riders to test updates or for full-time pilots, but some stars only turn it on when given the rare opportunity.
The concession rules govern how many times teams can enter a Durcard driver per season, with manufacturers in Category A barred from entering any one-off entries. Employees in category B can use three wild cards per year, while categories C and D can enter six.
A manufacturer in Discount Category C may only enter up to three wild card drivers in any first half. MotoGP seasonwith the remaining three for use after summer. Additionally, only three wild card drivers can participate in any Grand Prix event.
MotoGP teams rely on riders who have recently retired from full-time racing or competition, such as the World Superbike Championship, for their testing and loose marking roles. Test drivers are also regularly on hand to step in if (and when) the full-time drivers are injured.
The need to bring the bike home and record important information often prevents riders from using wildcards to brand themselves today. But many riders in the history of the premier class have proven that they can reach the podium or win.
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Steve Manship took the P3 in 1978 before 500cc British GP wide card riders were a thing.
Wildcard riders were part of the premier class long before the MotoGP era began in 2002. However, it was only in 2002 when the class changed from the 500cc championship to MotoGP that a rule was introduced, although the wildcard rider rule has been tweaked over the years.
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In the early years of the 500cc championship, the wild card rider was often a local rider looking to show the world what they could do at their home event. And Steve Manship in 2011. He certainly took the opportunity to impress at the 1978 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Silverstone in 2010 Local hero Barry Sheene, who held only his second British GP in 1978, is expected to continue his title fight with American Kenny Roberts. A new star was born in the rain as Manship was awarded second place behind Roberts.
From 1977 to 1980, Mankind only entered four 500cc Grands Prix and never got another podium finish. Even the Leicestershire native only qualified for the 1978 British GP22 in a private Suzuki, but he braved it and didn’t put on hot tires like Roberts and Sheen.
Akira Ryo took his only MotoGP podium at the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix as a wild card.
Akira Rio already proved he would win when given the chance to impress in the World Superbike Championship in 1999 when the Japanese racer won the production bike class. He took four WSBK podiums in 14 appearances from 1995-2001.
Rio scored points as a wild card rider in his 500cc debut at the 2000 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka with a P10. A MotoGP victory also almost followed in the 2002 Japanese GP when Ryo was the wildcard, but Valentino Rossi denied the home star a shock victory by 1.550 seconds.
Aboard a Dunlop-shod Suzuki GSV-R, Ryo led the first 15 rounds of the Japanese GP before the team switched to Michelin tires for the 2002 season. He handled the wet better than most full-time drivers, and stayed loyal until Rossi’s finish.
Olivier Jacques
Kawasaki turned to Olivier Jacques throughout the 2005 MotoGP season to stand in for Alex Hoffman. And Jacques achieved the best result of his premier class career as a wildcard rider in 2005 when he finished P2 at the Japanese Grand Prix and finished just 1.700s behind Rossi for victory.
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Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR It wasn’t the best bike to be on in 2005, and Jacques scored his only podium all year. He also took P17 in the 2005 championship. Shinya Nakano was the best Kawasaki in P10 with 98 points.
Jacques He qualified P20 for MotoGP’s first Chinese GP at the Shanghai International Circuit in 2005. However, he shot down the field in heavy rain, finishing P11 at the end of the first lap and P9 after lap 2/22. His growth slowed once in the top 10, but he continued to chart.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga braved slick tires on a dry track to claim P2 at the 2012 Valencia Grand Prix.
The 2012 MotoGP season ended in Valencia but one star emerged as Katsuyuki Nakasuga took P2 behind Dani Pedrosa. An impressive 37.661s may have separated the Spaniard on the Honda from Japanese AC in P2 on the Yamaha, but Nakasuga led Casey Stoner in P3 by 22.972s.
Nakasuga started the 2012 Valencia Grand Prix from the back of the grid in P20, but the situation improved as the Yamaha test rider took the third of his nine outings to take the only podium of his premier class career. It took a bold decision to start with flat tires, but it paid off.
Troy Bayliss became the only wild card rider to win a MotoGP race at the 2006 Valencia Grand Prix.
Troy Bayliss did not have a great time in MotoGP as a full-time rider with the factory Ducati team from 2003 to 2005. While the Australian scored three podiums in his rookie season, he only managed one more in 2006 before returning to the World Superbike Championship.
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Ducati moved Bayliss to MotoGP after winning the 2001 WSBK title and saw him win again in 2006 and 2008. In the year
Although not technically a Ducard rider, Bayliss took full advantage of the opportunity offered by Ducati and won the 2006 Valencia GP, as was the case for Gibernau. Loris Capirossi led the Ducati one-two with 1.319s in the final MotoGP race as he finished P2.
Bayliss’ victory was overshadowed as Nicky Hayden won the 2006 MotoGP riders’ title in Valencia for the Americans’ sole championship. Hayden’s P3 at Valencia was enough to secure the 2006 title by five points from Rossi.
