MotoGP will have dashboard messages in the series from the 2018 season onwards. No, it won't be like whatsapp or even SMS; as much as the teams would like to have messages that they can tailor to their own requirements, it will be limited to a set of predetermined messages.
These messages will be most probably regarding a bike swap in changing conditions, for example in a wet race with a drying track, the rider can be notified about the availability of the spare bike with slick tyres anywhere on track - he doesn't need to read it on the pit board and go around one more time. The dashboards can already give the riders basic information, like if the race is red-flagged of if they're black-flagged.
The riders are divided about it, some fearing that it will make the races more about pure strategy and remove the rider error that can make or break a race - like last year's Sachsenring race, where Marquez made the correct decision and came out of nowhere to win. Others are concerned that it will be a distraction, and will become a safety hazard.
The argument for both sides is a compelling one - at the Sachsenring, Hector Barbera was informed of a ride-through penalty via the dashboard but hadn't noticed it even a few laps later, and he was then black flagged. However, if the new dashboards make for predictable racing, who's to say that Dorna won't pull them back to what they're running today?
