FIM confirms stewarding revamp for MotoGP

As reported last month, MotoGP was planning a revamp of its stewarding panel in order to avoid controversies such as the one involving Marquez and Rossi during the Malaysian Grand Prix last season.

The Grand Prix Commission met in Geneva on Friday and decided to create a new panel of three stewards that will be independent from race direction.

The panel will be in charge investigating incidents and penalising riders.

"We decided to separate the duties and tasks of Race Direction and the judges, the panel of stewards," said Ippolito on the official MotoGP website.

"We want to let Race Direction focus on managing the races because there are a lot of responsibilities and delicate matters to do. We want to let them be free to manage the race but not to involve them anymore with the task of penalising riders. It needs more time and special dedication.

"On the other side we will have the panel of stewards with three stewards, one will be the Race Director themselves because they will be there throughout the season and Grands Prix."

The panel will include the current race director, Mike Webb, and two stewards from the FIM, one of the them possibly permanent, according to Ippolito.

Ippolito also said the that penalty points system is also currently under review after it faced criticism last year following the penalty imposed to Rossi for the Valencia finale.

"We used during the last few years a penalty point system but right now this is under discussion," he said.

"We'll have the final decision as to whether we continue to use that or whether we change it or if we use it at all."