Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi will have to serve a double long lap penalty in this Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix for causing a collision with MotoGP champion Marc Marquez in Mandalika.
Bezzecchi had made a poor launch from pole position in the Indonesian Grand Prix a fortnight ago, leaving him in the lower reaches of the top 10 on the opening lap.
As he tried to recover the lost ground, the Italian misjudged his braking and clattered into the rear of Marquez’s Ducati at Turn 7, sending both riders into the gravel.
Marquez was diagnosed with a fracture on his right shoulder after returning to Spain, where he underwent an operation this week. He has already been ruled out of both the Australian and Malaysian rounds as he continues his recovery.
Bezzecchi himself had to visit a local hospital to undergo checks, but managed to escape any serious injury.
With the 26-year-old unavailable in the immediate aftermath of the Indonesia race, it was only on Thursday at Phillip Island that the stewards got a chance to hold a hearing with him.
After analysing the incident and hearing from Bezzecchi, it concluded that the Aprilia rider rode in an “irresponsible manner” and “caused danger” to his rivals.
Considering this was his second offence of the season, the stewards deemed that a double lap penalty would be appropriate for the incident. This would be applied in the grand prix on Sunday as opposed to Saturday’s sprint race.
Bezzecchi had previously been involved in a first-lap incident with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo in the Argentina GP in the early part of the 2025 season, an incident for which he had received a warning.
At Phillip Island, the penalty loop is located on the outside of Turn 4.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Full stewards statement
On 5th October 2025 at 15:02:38 during the MotoGP™ Race of the PERTAMINA GRAND PRIX OF INDONESIA at Turn 8 you were found to be riding in an irresponsible manner causing a crash, involving rider #93.
This contravenes the specific instructions given to MotoGP™ competitors and teams, and is considered irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors. It is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations.
Sanction:
For the above reasons, the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel has imposed a Double Long Lap Penalty. The Double Long Lap Penalty shall be served by the rider in the next Grand Prix race in the Championship* (in accordance with articles 3.2.1 and 3.3.2.3 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations).
*The FIM MotoGP™ Stewards clarify that in case of non-participation or non-completion of the next event due to a subsequent and unrelated injury, illness or other problem (not suffered during the penalised incident itself), then the penalty is deemed to have been served.
In case of non-participation in the applicable race at the next event for any reason specifically related to this penalised incident, the penalty shall be served at the next Championship event in which the rider participates (as per the penalties protocol issued by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards on 27th February 2025).
Penalty Explanation
Following the Penalty Protocols issued to teams, this action was deemed to be an incident of Type MGP-CC5: START OF THE RACE / OPENING LAP. Actions that create a dangerous situation for multiple riders and/or causing a crash. As a second offence for the season, the appropriate penalty in this case is a Double Long Lap Penalty.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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