Repsol Honda appeals Marquez penalty – A drama in several acts

29. March 2023

3 min read

Repsol Honda is appealing the amended penalty for Marc Marquez in connection with the incident at the Portuguese Grand Prix, saying it does not comply with current MotoGP World Championship rules.

Honda protests penalty change for Marc Marquez

Repsol Honda team management has lodged an official protest against the penalty imposed by the FIM on Marc Marquez in connection with the incident at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Honda believes that the change in the penalty, which was published by the FIM two days after the first final sanction, does not comply with the current MotoGP World Championship rules. Therefore, the team plans to use all legal remedies available in the regulations to defend its rights and legitimate interests. Honda has accordingly filed an appeal with the FIM Appeal Stewards.

The chronology of events

On Sunday, after the Portuguese Grand Prix, Marc Marquez was sentenced to two long-lap penalties for an accident with Jorge Martin (Pramac-Ducati) and Miguel Oliveira (RNF-Aprilia). The original document stated that Marquez would have to serve that penalty at the “Argentine Grand Prix.”

On Monday, it was announced that Marquez had undergone surgery for an injury to the thumb of his right hand and had to cancel his trip to Argentina. This led to questions about whether the penalty was void, as it was specifically for Sunday’s race at Termas de Rio Hondo, according to the original document.

On Tuesday, race commissioners Freddie Spencer, Andres Somolinos and Tamara Matko sent a clarification, saying Marquez must complete the penalty at his next race start. They stated that given his injury and non-participation in Argentina, Marquez must serve the penalty at the next race in which he participates.

Honda responds to race organizers’ clarification

Honda on Wednesday responded to the clarification from race officials, saying it sees a violation of the rules. In a statement, the team said that the change in the timing of the implementation of the penalty is considered a change in the criteria. The FIM would have sent this change two days after the original decision, which was already final and unchangeable. This would not be in accordance with the current rules of the FIM MotoGP World Championship.

Therefore, Honda intends to exhaust all the possibilities of appeal provided for in the regulations in order to defend their own rights and legal interests, which they consider violated by the recent decision. Therefore, an appeal has been sent to the FIM Commissioners, who are responsible for handling appeals.

Summary

The drama surrounding Marc Marquez’s penalty continues as the Honda team takes action against the race commissioners’ decision and lodges a formal protest. The coming days will show whether Honda will succeed and the penalty for Marquez may be modified or overturned.