Marquez disagrees with ‘risky’ new MotoGP penalty regime

Marc Marquez disagrees with the new MotoGP penalty regime which has been introduced as a result of the fiasco over his Double Long Lap.

The Repsol Honda rider was issued a Double Long Lap Penalty to serve in the second Grand Prix Race of the season in Argentina after crashing into Miguel Oliveira in the first, in Portugal.

One it became clear he would not be riding in Argentina due to injury, stewards sought to amend the penalty such that it would be served whenever he returned.

The sanction was ultimately annulled by the MotoGP Court of Appeal, more than a month after the fact, but, in the meantime, a new Penalties Protocol was issued.

Riders are now required to serve penalties in the next race in which they participate, except in the case of a “subsequent and unrelated” injury/illness.

Marquez thinks it is a bad idea, because it will encourage injured riders to battle on in order to simply clear a penalty.

“When I received that penalty, I went to the Stewards [in Portimao] and I completely agreed to receive it because it was a big mistake,” said the six-time MotoGP (premier class) champion.

“But what I received was for Argentina, it was written there on the paper, and I signed.

“I asked the Stewards again, ‘Is it for Argentina?’ They said yes.

“I had surgery. 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 three 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 will take more risks.

“Already in the past we had some situations – for example, [Luca] Marini in Moto2 did it and it’s normal – it will create that the riders will force more to come back.

“And it will create a bad image. Because the riders will make the penalty and then 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 avoid, so they need to think about another strategy.

“I am not the boss of the FIM, the boss is the one who needs to fix everything.”

Marquez missed the three rounds following that of Portugal as he recovered from surgery, but will make his comeback this weekend at Le Mans, in France.

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