The FIM’s decision to transfer the sanction of Marc Márquez from Argentina to the Grand Prix of the Americas, where the rider will initially reappear, has not been liked by Repsol Honda, which issued a statement this Wednesday assuring that they are going to “use all the ways of appealing the regulations in force in defense of their rights and legitimate interests”.
The man from Cervera was penalized with a double long lap for “irresponsible driving” at the Portuguese Grand Prix, where he hit Miguel Oliveira, who was second at the time. Márquez over-braked in turn three of the third lap and ended up on the ground next to the Portuguese. The eight-time world champion accepted the mistake and apologized, in addition to suffering a fracture in the first metacarpal of his right thumb.
After undergoing surgery at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid, the Japanese team announced that Márquez would be absent from the next Argentine Grand Prix, which in principle allowed him to avoid the penalty. However, the FIM, “in order to comply with the underlying intention of the decision made by the Panel of Commissioners”, clarified that the Catalan should serve the punishment in Austin, in the race on April 16.
Faced with this situation, Repsol Honda defends that the “modification of the sanction” responds to a “change of criteria” that comes “two days after the initial sanction was firm and definitive”. The winged brand concludes that it does not accept the sanction, since “it does not conform to current FIM regulations.”
For this reason, the Japanese factory has filed an appeal with the FIM Appeal Stewards and intends to exhaust all avenues to defend rights that it considers “infringed”. Márquez surprised with pole position in the opening race in Portugal, achieved a creditable third position in the first Sprint race in history and on Sunday he fell back into hell, from where he has not come out since his fateful fall in July 2020 that caused a fracture of the right humerus.
