Marco Bezzecchi banned from Czech MotoGP race after slapping track steward | MotoGP

The MotoGP championship leader, Marco Bezzecchi, was banned from Sunday’s Czech GP after slapping a track steward in the face after a crash in Saturday’s sprint, MotoGP said.

The 27-year-old Italian Aprilia Racing rider crashed out of the sprint with two laps to go. Footage on TNT Sports showed Bezzecchi running towards a steward, pushing him and then slapping him in the face as the steward was standing over his bike in the gravel.

“Bezzecchi will not take part in the Czech GP,” MotoGP said on its website.

A document published by the FIM MotoGP Stewards association told Bezzecchi that “following a crash you pushed and struck circuit Marshals who were trying to recover your machine … That is an infringement of Article 3.3.2.2, an action ‘prejudicial to the interests of the sport.”

Aprilia appealed against the stewards’ decision on Saturday, but appeal stewards upheld the verdict, and Aprilia said it would not protest any further.

It is another blow to Bezzecchi’s hopes of a maiden MotoGP title after he failed to finish the Hungarian GP two weeks ago, when his teammate Jorge Martín took him out in turn one. Adding to Aprilia’s woes, Martín will have to serve two long-lap penalties for causing that crash.

Bezzecchi apologised “to everyone, Aprilia Racing and my fans” in a statement. He continued: “I would like to apologise to the entire MotoGP community for my behaviour toward the trackside marshal.

“I’m also sorry because I know how much effort and sacrifice marshals make to ensure our safety. This behaviour shouldn’t happen and there is no justification for it.” On Sunday, MotoGP posted a video of Bezzecchi apologising to the steward and embracing him.

Marc Márquez won Sunday’s race on a scorching day in Brno, scoring a second straight win after dominating in Hungary two weeks ago.

The pole sitter, Japan’s Ai Ogura, finished second ahead of Márquez’s factory Ducati teammate, Francesco Bagnaia. Both riders quickly overtook Ogura, Bagnaia striking on the first lap and Márquez following seconds later.

Márquez, a seven-time MotoGP world champion, then circled patiently behind his teammate, narrowing his gap on his teammate to a tenth of a second by the 11th lap. Five laps later, the Spaniard swept past Bagnaia and raced away to earn his fifth MotoGP victory on the Brno circuit.

Bezzecchi still leads the overall standings with 180 points, ahead of Martín with 172, Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio on 157 and Marc Márquez with 140.