Images of Marc Marquez's mechanic holding the clutch lever as the Spaniard changed bikes during Sunday's German MotoGP caused some♊ to jump to the wrong conclusion.

A directive issued to teams prio𝓀r to the event stated that, for safety reasons, the rider must put the second bike into gear himself when he swi🔯tches machines.

Previously the second bike could be put into gear before the🔜 rider arrived, increasing the risk of a pit lane incident during the handover.

Although the mechanic was holding the clutch lever, data 𒁃confirmed that it had been race winner Mar🅺quez who put the bike into gear.

MotoGP race director Mike Webb explained: "Marquez did i♛t in warm-up (pictured) so we went along and [Repsol Honda] said, 'we hold the clutch lever so he can jump on the bike and put it into gear as he goes'.

"So the bike is in neutral when he arrives and they are following exactly the directive that I've given 🅷them,🌄 which is; the rider puts the bike into gear.

"I asked Danny [Aldridge, technical director] to check the data and confirm that it was in neutral. So I'm happy that the change was fine, they knew what they were doi✅ng and knew the rules."