Race organisers have moved to end a disparity in the red flag guidance issued to Manx Grand Prix (MGP) competitors.

It comes after competitiors were allowed to return wrong direction to the Grandstand following a red flag incident at Kate’s Cottage during Sunday afternoon’s qualifying session.

MGP supplementary regulations published online, and updated on August 12, stated that there will be no movement of riders in the wrong direction.

But the Event Safety Plan confirms that they can do so under exceptional circumstances.

When Media Isle of Man pointed out the disparity, the regulations were amended on Tuesday.

They now read: ‘There will be no movement of riders in the wrong course direction unless exceptional circumstances dictate otherwise and the movement in wrong direction will only be granted by the clerk of the course.’

In a notice to MGP teams and competitors, clerk of the course Gary Thompson explained that the regulations had been updated.

He said: ‘Following a red flag incident, wrong direction can be utilised in extreme circumstances at the discretion of the clerk of the course.

‘Due to the location of the incident on Sunday, it was an extreme circumstance, otherwise the riders stopped on the TT course would have been sat waiting to be recovered by the travelling marshals until at least 10.30pm at night.’

The rule restricting wrong direction travel followed the unprecedented crash during the 2018 TT when rider Steve Mercer received life-changing injuries.

He had been among a group of red-flagged competitors who were allowed to travel back to the Grandstand the wrong way round the course.

At Ballacrye, Mr Mercer’s machine collided head-on-with a course travelling at high speed to the fatal accident which claimed the life of Manx TT star Dan Kneen.

Following that incident, Gary Thompson announced that following a red flag incident: ‘Riders will only be permitted to move in course direction under the control of travelling marshals at the front and rear.

‘There will no longer be any movement of riders in the wrong course direction.’

Until it was amended on Tuesday, rule 8.89 in the supplementary MGP regulations for 2024 stated: ‘Riders will only be permitted to move in course direction on the authorisation of the clerk of the course and under the control of travelling marshals at the front and rear.

‘There will be no movement of riders in the wrong direction.’

But the Event Safety Plan on which the riders’ briefings are based when they sign on, states that wrong direction travel following a red flag is allowed under exceptional circumstances. This has been the position since mandatory GPS tracking was introduced on the Mountain Course in 2022.

It reads: ‘In certain circumstances it may be necessary for competitors to travel to the Grandstand in wrong direction.

‘Those circumstances will be at the discretion of the clerk of the course.’

In circumstances where wrong direction is deemed necessary and has been authorised, two travelling marshals will be deployed and race control will confirm with each marshal point that no vehicle movement is taking place before they set off.

All will travel at reduced speed in the left hand carriageway and with no overtaking.

A spokesperson for the DfE’s motorsport team said the race organiser had become aware of the disparity between the Event Safety Plan and the supplementary regulations. The document published online has now been updated. She said: ‘Since the introduction of mandatory GPS tracking for all vehicles that enter closed roads on the TT Mountain Course in 2022, following a red flag incident, the clerk of the course in exceptional circumstances may permit competitors under the escort of the travelling marshals to travel to the Grandstand in wrong direction.’

This now features as part of the Event Safety Plan, which is signed off by the Department of Infrastructure and the Department of Home Affairs before the issuing of race authorisation to the clerk of the course, she said.

‘This is the document that is used in operation and therefore supersedes the supplementary regulations.’

She added: ‘The Event Safety Plan is also the document that forms the basis of the rider briefings and during the signing-on process all riders are briefed that in exceptional circumstances the clerk of the course may permit competitors under the escort of the travelling marshals to travel to the Grandstand in the wrong direction.

‘The supplementary regulations although published online are considered to be a live document with updates issued regularly.’

The driver of the course car involved in the Steve Mercer collision is pursuing a claim for damages against the Auto Cycle Union.