MotoGP Le Mans: Marc Marquez: ‘Someone changed my penalty’, new rule risks 'bad image’

Marc Marquez has warned that the revised penalty wording, introduced in the aftermath of the FIM Stewards' failed attempt to revise his Portimao MotoGP penalty, could create new risks and problems.
Marc
Marc

Earlier this week the MotoGP Court of Appeal overturnedꦬ the FIM Stewards' attempt to change the wording of Marquez’s original double long lap penalty, for colliding with Miguel Oliveira, from❀ Argentina to his next race back.

The change was attempted when it emerged that Marquez would miss Argentina due to a thღumb fracture - despite the penalty already being signed and sealed, plus earlier verbal assurances that it only coun🐟ted for Argentina.

Repsol Honda promptly ap🤡pealed the ‘modification’ with the Court ruling i🃏n their favour.

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But even before that verdict, the FIM Stewards had already changed the penalty wording♛, post-Portimao, to state that punishments are to be served "at the next Grand Prix race at which the rider participates".

The only exemption is if a rider misses🎐 their next race due to a "subsequent and unrelated injury or illness" in which case the penalty will n♊ot be carried over.

But Marquez warned that r♏iders might now attempt to return early from their injuries simply to fulfil the ✨penalty, then retire from the race. A move that would create a ‘bad image’ as well as putting themselves and others at risk.

“When I received that penaꦐlty, I went to the Stewards [in Portimao] and I completely agreed to receive it because it was a big mista🏅ke,” Marquez said.

“But wh🅘at I received was for Argentina, it was written there o💝n the paper, and I signed.

༒“I🌞 asked the Stewards again ‘is it for Argentina?’ They said yes.

“I had sur𓆉gery. Then, for some reason, after two days, somebody changed it. I don’t know who, but it’s not my fault.

“Believe me, the worst penalty was to be at home for th𒈔ree🔯 races.

“Now, it looks like [the wording of the penalties] is changed to ‘the 🌞next race that🌜 you will race’, if you don’t get injured.

“It’s not the best solution. Because we w🍸ill take more risks.

“Already in the past we had some situations - for example Marini in Moto2 did it and it’s normal - it will create that the rid🐼ers will force more to come back [early].

“And it will create a bad image. Because the riders will make the penalty and t✤hen stop in the box.

🥂“For me, it would have been easy to come back in Jerez, take the penalty, and stop in the box.

“This, we need to a𓆉void. So they need to think about another st♔rategy.

“I am ꦑnot the boss of the F𓃲IM, the boss is the one who needs to fix everything.”

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