Marco Bezzecchi
Carlo Pernat has claimed that Marco Bezzecchi made another mistake after hitting a Czech marshal that led to his ban.
On Saturday, Bezzecchi made unwanted headlines after hitting a marshal during the Czech Grand Prix Sprint.
The 27-year-old’s bike was stuck on the gravel after the Italian crashed out during the closing stages of the Sprint race in Brno.
As the marshals worked on removing the Aprilia bike from the gravel trap, Bezzecchi was seen shoving one marshal away before hitting him in the face.
What resulted was the MotoGP world championship leader being banned from the Czech Grand Prix, with Bezzecchi issuing an official apology on social media.
In response, the marshal claimed that he understood Bezzecchi’s ‘situation’ and wished the Italian all the best for the remainder of the season.
Which OTHER MotoGP rider deserved a race ban for their behaviour?
Marco Bezzecchi was thrown out of the Czech GP for hitting a marshal
Carlo Pernat claims Marco Bezzecchi should have apologised on the same day
Reacting to the incident, Pernat stated that Bezzecchi should have apologised on the same day, instead of waiting until Sunday, when he was filmed sharing an embrace with the marshal he hit.
The 77-year-old also claimed that if Bezzecchi had apologised on Saturday, he would have been allowed to race in the Czech Grand Prix.
Pernat also shifted some blame to Aprilia, saying they made an ‘error’ by not acting immediately.
Although Bezzecchi has been criticised for a ‘staged’ apology, Pernat is adamant that even though it looked ‘preplanned’, it was ‘spontaneous’ because that’s how the Italian acts.
Pernat told GPOne: “Marco is a very strong rider, a good guy, but he should not have reacted like that. In my opinion, the mistake was not apologising on the same day. The day after, it seemed preplanned, even though it was spontaneous because he is that way.
“So, if he had done it on the same day, he probably wouldn’t have been disqualified; they would have given him a last-row start, a fine, and that would have been it.
“The day after is too late. It was also a bit of an error by Aprilia. They should have acted immediately.”
How big a failure would it be if Aprilia lose the 2026 title to Marc Marquez from here?
After his win in Brno, Marc Marquez is just 40 points behind Marco Bezzecchi!
READ MORE: Marco Bezzecchi marshal incident shows exactly why Marc Marquez will win 2026 title
Missing the Czech Grand Prix has had a huge impact on Bezzecchi’s bid to win the 2026 MotoGP title, as his lead at the top of the standings has been cut to just eight points after Jorge Martin scored seven points.
Aside from Martin, Marc Marquez’s victory in Brno means the seven-time MotoGP world champion is also beginning to catch Bezzecchi, with just 40 points between the pair.
Looking ahead, Bezzecchi will now be under huge pressure as the 2026 MotoGP season continues this weekend with round 10 in the Netherlands, taking place around the TT Circuit Assen.
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