Update: Marc Marquez is currently under investigation after tangling with Fabio di Giannantonio on the opening lap of the COTA Sprint race. No verdict has yet been announced.
MotoGP title leader Marco Bezzecchi and Honda’s Luca Marini have both been given two-place grid penalties for Sunday’s US MotoGP.
The pair were punished for holding up reigning champion Marc Marquez during the same back straight incident during Saturday morning’s qualifying session.
Marquez was seen shaking his head and gesturing at Bezzecchi after pulling alongside in the braking zone.
The FIM MotoGP Stewards have judged that both riders “were observed to be riding slow online disturbing another rider #93 at Turn 12.”
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The normal penalty for a first offence is a three-place grid drop for the grand prix.
However, the penalty explanation reveals that ‘mitigation’ was applied ‘due to involvement of another rider’ and that ‘the appropriate penalty in this case is 2 Grid Positions penalty.’
The penalty will cost Bezzecchi – chasing a fifth grand prix victory in a row on Sunday – a front row start, after qualifying in second place behind Fabio di Giannantonio.
“About Marc, honestly, I have no idea. I didn’t see him,” Bezzecchi had said in parc ferme.
HRC’s Marini will be demoted from ninth to eleventh.
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‘No further action’
Marquez was himself placed under investigation for a separate qualifying incident with Enea Bastianini. Meanwhile, Ai Ogura appeared at risk of a penalty after holding up Marquez’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.
However, ‘no further action’ was announced for both of those incidents.
Bagnaia is among the main beneficiaries of the Bezzecchi penalty since he will now move from fourth to a front row start in third, behind Fabio di Giannantonio and Pedro Acosta.
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