The reigning MotoGP champion, Pecco Bagnaia, will face a penalty at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday. Bagnaia was found guilty of obstructing Alex Márquez during Friday afternoon’s practice. Márquez encountered Bagnaia at the Correntaio corner, where Bagnaia intentionally took a wide line, negatively impacting Márquez’s lap. Márquez expressed his frustration, stating that Bagnaia failed to acknowledge his presence. After an investigation, it was determined that Bagnaia will receive a three-place grid penalty. Both riders had already completed their media sessions before the penalty announcement.
Márquez explained that he was on a fast lap, trying to improve his lap time when he encountered Bagnaia. He noticed that Bagnaia was slow in the middle of the track and expected him to check for approaching riders, but Bagnaia did not. Márquez had to alter his throttle and believed it was clear that Bagnaia impeded his progress.
A video of the incident was shared, showing the differing opinions of Márquez and Bagnaia. Bagnaia dismissed Márquez’s reaction as typical, stating that he did not receive blue flags and was off the racing line. He referred to Márquez as a showman, making unnecessary gestures on his bike. Bagnaia expressed his disbelief at the possibility of receiving a penalty.
However, the stewards decided to penalize Bagnaia for riding slowly on the racing line during the final 20 minutes of practice, which impeded another rider’s progress to Q2. As a result, Bagnaia will lose three grid positions for Sunday’s race but will start Saturday’s race from his qualifying position.
Márquez’s statement that Bagnaia hindered his improvement is accurate, as Bagnaia’s presence affected Márquez’s lap. However, Márquez managed to achieve a better lap time on his final attempt and will join Bagnaia in Q2.
Another incident involving Jorge Martin and Miguel Oliveira did not receive an official investigation, despite Martin’s frustration and the potential impact of Oliveira on Martin’s lap. The argument could be that Oliveira was on a warm-up lap and had already begun to accelerate to reach the ideal temperature for his tires. In contrast, Bagnaia immediately returned to the pits after the infraction.
Bagnaia was the fastest rider on Friday, clocking a time in the 1m44s range. However, due to the penalty, his best starting position for the 23-lap race will be fourth.
