Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi’s race ban at the Czech Grand Prix has divided experts, with Jorge Lorenzo believing he deserved the same penalty Valentino Rossi faced back in 2015.
Bezzecchi slapped a marshal twice after crashing in the Sprint race at the Czech Grand Prix. The FIM hit the Aprilia rider with a race ban, and the verdict caused quite the reaction.
Aprilia appealed the penalty, believing that it was disproportionate to the action. Lorenzo agrees that banning Bezzecchi was ‘excessive’, but he thinks that he deserved another penalty.
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Marco Bezzecchi was thrown out of the Czech GP for hitting a marshal
Jorge Lorenzo thinks Marco Bezzecchi should have started last at Brno like Valentino Rossi did after Malaysia 2015
Speaking to GPOne, the three-time MotoGP champion says Bezzecchi deserved either a double long-lap penalty, which teammate Jorge Martin served at Brno after his crash in Hungary, or he should have had to start last for the race.
The latter was the same punishment that Rossi received for the final race of the 2015 season at Valencia. Rossi infamously ‘kicked’ Marc Marquez in Malaysia, and was hit with a back-of-the-grid start and two penalty points.
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Lorenzo thinks Bezzecchi should have had the same fate: “The Aprilia is a more twitchy bike than the Ducati; it’s easier to make mistakes. We’ve seen more crashes with them than with the Ducatis – a bike that’s longer and more stable – and that certainly has an impact.
“There have been mistakes we could have done without, like Bezzecchi’s crash in Thailand, a bit of bad luck with Martin, but the crash at Brno was also unnecessary – he could have finished fourth or fifth and scored points.
“In my opinion, the penalty imposed on him was excessive; I wouldn’t have suspended him for a race – I would have made him start last or given him two long laps. It’s excessive because other actions that put riders at risk in corners while riding fast don’t result in penalties like this.
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“Sure, he was wrong to give that little slap, but he didn’t hurt the marshal. You have to understand that for Marco, becoming world champion is his lifelong dream, and maybe because of a marshal’s mistake, he could lose points that cost him the title.
“The frustration is enormous; you shouldn’t do that. He did it in the heat of the moment and received this penalty. In my opinion, it was a bit excessive; I think they did it to make a point that these things aren’t allowed. Let’s set an example for young riders; they’ve taken it as a warning.”
Marco Melandri has warned that Bezzecchi will be ‘angrier than ever’ after his race ban in Czechia. He has the chance to put things right at Assen, but he will have to watch his temper from now on.
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