Marc Marquez will have to serve a Long Lap penalty in tomorrow’s race. The stewards ruled that the Spanish rider’s move was an improper one; he crashed on the first lap of the Austin Sprint at Turn 12 while attempting to pass Di Giannantonio, who was an innocent bystander in the incident.
The new protocol calls for stricter penalties for dangerous moves and accidents that occur in the early stages of the race. Penalties are usually doubled, but in Marquez’s case, it was decided not to be too harsh, considering that this was the first time he had been involved in such a maneuver and that only one other rider was involved.
