Rossi confirms he'll wear airbag suit

As predicted yesterday by MCN, eight-times world champion Valentino Rossi has confirmed he will debut in Dainese’s D-Air airbag suit in today’s Donington MotoGP action.

He follows in the footsteps of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and fellow Dainese-sponsored riders Michael Ranseder, Thomas Luthi and Marco Simoncelli.

Jorge Lorenzo took the decision to wear the airbag suit at Sachsenring after suffering a monster highside in practice for the US GP at Laguna Seca earlier in July.

He said: “I believe this to be an extremely important innovation. 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.

“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.”

When activated, the airbag system – which is located within the leather suit, rather than outside it – protects the shoulders and the collarbones.

Dainese also claim that it: “creates a surface for the resting and support of the helmet that limits the movement of the neck”.

Once activated the airbag deflates, allowing the rider to get back on his bike and continue with the race.