Johann Zarco will have to serve a double long lap penalty when he finally returns to MotoGP action following his heavy crash at the Catalan Grand Prix in May.
The sanction was announced ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix, which will be the fifth successive race the injured Zarco has missed since the Barcelona incident.
Zarco, who is targeting a September return to racing aboard the LCR Honda, is being punished for his role in the very accident that resulted in him sustaining the serious knee injuries that have kept him on the sidelines.
The crash took place immediately after the race was restarted for the first time. It was initially stopped as a result of the frightening crash involving Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez.
While the stewards’ decision may conform to the letter of the law, it comes after MotoGP organisers received criticism for their handling of events following the initial Acosta/Marquez accident – particularly after the subsequent one involving Zarco.
The Zarco crash, which also took out Luca Marini and Francesco Bagnaia, led to a second stoppage. Some, including Acosta, suggested the event should have been called off entirely following a second major shunt.
Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team crash
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Zarco himself had been struck by debris thrown up by the Acosta/Marquez incident, and admitted that he was not in a fit state to take the restart. Some critics have suggested that decisions around taking restarts should not be left to adrenaline-fueled riders.
The wording of the decision released on Thursday is as follows: “On 17TH May 2026 at 14:53:20 during the MotoGP Race of the MONSTER ENERGY GRAND PRIX OF CATALONIA at Turn 1 you caused a crash, involving riders #10 MARINI and #63 BAGNAIA.
“This contravenes the specific instructions given to MotoGP™ competitors and teams. It is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations.
“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.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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