Dainese D-air Racing System Entered MotoGP

After Jorge Lorenzo became the first Moto GP Dainese racer that used the suit with the D-air Racing system at the Sachsenring Grand Prix race, Valentino Rossi also decided to wear the suit fitted with D-air during Sunday’s race in Donington Park.

Lorenzo declared himself extremely satisfied with the D-air project, finding it an important innovation, especially after his ugly spill in Laguna Seca. “After my falls in Laguna Seca, I no longer had any doubt that it was time to start wearing this new suit, which certainly offers more safety than the standard suit.” Lorenzo said in a statement for the press.

“Dainese has taken big steps forward in its perfection of the system, and we racers can make a further contribution in the creation of the prototype: we can't stop now! Like any innovation, it takes a little time to get used to wearing the new suit, but I feel much safer with the system on and that's the most important thing,” he added.

The system was not used only in the heavyweight MotoGP class competition, as Marco Simoncelli, Thomas Luthi and Michi Ranseder also chose to wear D-air in the 250 and 125 cc classes. Simoncelli was in fact the first rider that tested the D-air Racing airbag in November 2007, as it opened during the season's final Grand Prix race in Valencia.

Since then, the system went through some important modifications that improved its performance and the rider’s comfort. The volume of the sack was reduced, the protective areas were redistributed, and the system's inflation pressure was increased. The airbag deflates all by itself and the suit returns to its original form.

The new device is housed completely inside the suit and therefore does not require removal after opening because it is the suit itself that expands to permit the raising of the sack. Moreover, its total weight has been further reduced by around 20%.