MotoGP is trying to bring a new radio system into racing. The idea comes from Formula 1, where drivers and their teams talk to each other during the race. MotoGP wants something similar by 2026, so riders and teams can share quick messages while riding.

But Johann Zarco is not happy with the system after testing it again in Valencia. He thinks the radio is not working well at all.

MotoGP’s radio is different from Formula 1. F1 drivers have a small speaker inside their ears. In MotoGP, this is not allowed because riders need their ears free for safety. So MotoGP uses a speaker that rests on the rider’s ear bone instead.

However, this seems to be causing problems. Zarco said the sound was full of loud static noise, making it nearly impossible to understand messages. He said he could only guess what the team wanted to tell him, such as “white flag”, but even then it was not clear.

Zarco explained that when he puts on his helmet and rides at very high speed, there is a lot of wind noise. The helmet also moves a little on his head. All this makes it harder for the speaker to stay in the right place.

He said to motorsport.com: “As soon as you accelerate, you won’t hear anything. You can only hear in slow corners, with the throttle off. For me, it is pointless.”

At the moment, MotoGP teams usually use pitboards to give riders information. In recent years, teams have also been able to send short messages to the dashboard on the bike. But this system is only one-way, the rider cannot speak back.

The new radio system is supposed to allow two-way talking, so teams and riders can speak to each other like in Formula 1. Zarco said his team could hear him talking while he was in the pitlane.

Other riders have also tried the radio in testing. Some say it might help in the future, especially for safety messages. But many are unsure if it will work properly during races.

Even though Zarco thinks the radio is not helpful right now, he said it is not dangerous or distracting. He simply cannot understand why the quality is so poor when modern technology is usually so good.

MotoGP and the radio company still have time to improve the system before the planned launch in 2026. But if the sound continues to be full of static, Zarco believes riders will not want to use it.