Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Marc Marquez given one penalty point for Dani Pedrosa Aragon clash

Marc Marquez has been given one penalty point for his clash with Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa at Aragon, while Honda has lost its constructors' championship points from Marquez's win

The decision to bestow just one penalty point means Marquez avoids any form of grid penalty for now.

Under MotoGP's new-for-2013 penalty system, any rider reaching four penalty points is put to the back of the grid for the next race.

Seven penalty points earn a pitlane start while a race ban is imposed for anyone who accumulates 10.

Marquez already had two penalty points for his crash in the Silverstone warm-up, which occurred under yellow flags for Cal Crutchlow's accident shortly beforehand.

MotoGP's race director Mike Webb said the punishment was based on Marquez's form over the entire season.

"We are sending a message to Marc, very clearly, that we understand that he is an extremely talented rider but he is also intelligent enough to understand that there has to be some margin for error," Webb told the official MotoGP site.

"For us [the Aragon crash] is a signal (even though the contact itself was quite minor) to make a formal warning by way of a penalty point to Marc to say he has to take more care."

The Sepang hearing was called after Pedrosa had a violent fall in the Aragon race following minor contact with Marquez, which broke part of the former's traction control system.

Honda has also lost the 25 constructors' points from Marquez's Aragon win. That reduces its advantage over Yamaha to just one point.

Webb explained the latter punishment was handed not because of Marquez's infraction but because of the failure of Honda's traction control system, which caused Pedrosa's crash.

"[The points deduction] was a message to the manufactures about the standard of safety and the inbuilt failsafes for the systems on the bikes, to try and increase the safety," he added.

"It is not so much a question of having to make regulations to force them to do something; it is more a cooperative effort to make sure that all of us can work together to make the bikes safer."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Jorge Lorenzo admits he has felt helpless against Honda in MotoGP
Next article Aprilia boss Luigi Dall'Igna appointed manager of Ducati Corse

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe