Permission to change is not a universal stop signal
MotoGP’s official explainer says the premier class can use a second bike during flag-to-flag races. A race declared wet before the start permits that mechanism; when a dry race becomes wet, white flags authorise bike changes. Riders then judge when to make the change.
The relevant viewing question is therefore what Race Direction has declared and which signal is being shown. Different riders can take the pitlane at different moments without the pictures being out of sequence. A split between slick and wet-weather strategies can occur within the same continuing race.
Read the actual flag design
The organiser’s flag guide distinguishes a plain white flag permitting machine changes from a white flag with a diagonal red cross giving rain information on that section. Similar-looking flags should not be merged into a single generic wet-weather symbol when reviewing an incident.
A red flag interrupts the race or session and instructs riders to return carefully to the pitlane. That is a different state from a rider choosing a permitted machine change. Keep the wider sequence and official message rather than relying on a cropped image of a rider arriving at the garage.
The class and edition still matter
The official bike-change explanation restricts this flag-to-flag mechanism to MotoGP, where riders have two bikes. It should not be assumed to describe a Moto 2 or Moto 3 race merely because those classes share the weekend or appear in the same programme.
The organiser’s published explanations were checked on 4 November 2026. A particular event can also have specific safety directions or mandatory procedures, which require that event’s official information. This article explains the normal signal distinctions without inferring the cause or legality of an unseen stop from a clip alone.