Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 325: Are Sprint Races Sustainable, And The Controversy Surrounding Marc Marquez

By David Emmett | Tue, 28/03/2023 - 19:28

The first weekend of MotoGP Sprint Races turned out to be unforgettable, in both the best and the worst meaning of the word. There were thrills, spills, crashes, injuries, and some absolutely superb racing.

Plenty for the Paddock Pass Podcast crew to sink their teeth into, then. Steve English, Adam Wheeler, David Emmett, and Neil Morrison chew over the implications of such a massive change to MotoGP. With four riders out at the first race, is the rate of attrition sustainable? Are the sprint races really to blame, or is it just because of the increased adrenaline of the first race weekend of 2023? Will it help promote MotoGP?

FIM Stewards Revise Marc Marquez Penalty - Double Long Lap To Be Served Next Time He Races

By David Emmett | Tue, 28/03/2023 - 10:06

The FIM Stewards have been forced to revise the penalty they imposed on Marc Marquez, for hitting Miguel Oliveira on the third lap of the Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday. Initially, the Stewards Notification was worded such that the Double Long Lap Penalty would have to be served at the Grand Prix of Argentina, due to take place at Termas de Rio Hondo this Sunday.

However, Marc Marquez broke his thumb in the crash, fracturing the first metacarpal in his right hand. The Spaniard has since had surgery, but has decided to skip the next round in Argentina.

By a strict reading of the Stewards Notification, Marquez would only have to serve the penalty at Argentina. But after the controversy that produced, and debates over the correct application of penalties, the Stewards have issued a second Notification, clarifying that Marquez will have to serve the penalty during the Sunday race in Argentina, or the next Sunday grand prix he races at.

Portimão MotoGP Subscriber Notes: Pecco's Perfect Weekend, And Marc Marquez Messes Up

By David Emmett | Tue, 28/03/2023 - 01:33

The first weekend of MotoGP sprint races proved so packed with action and controversy that it is hard to know where to begin. Add in the vagaries of MotoGP life – travel to and from circuits and airports and other commitments – and it is hard to give the opening round at Portimão the full detail it deserves.

So in note form, a few very quick thoughts on the race on Sunday, and how it played out. I will expand on some of these in the next couple of days.

Dream start for Bagnaia

After taking victory in the sprint race on Saturday, Pecco Bagnaia dominated the grand prix on Sunday. It took him one lap to take the lead, and once he did, he controlled the race completely. Maverick Viñales – an impressive ride from the Aprilia man – pushed Bagnaia hard for the first half of the race, but the Ducati rider inched away from him in the second half of the race, before extending the gap in the last few laps. You never had the sense that victory was under threat.

Miguel Oliveira To Miss Argentina Grand Prix - MotoGP Grid Down To 18

By David Emmett | Mon, 27/03/2023 - 18:48

Miguel Oliveira has been ruled out of the following round of the Argentina Grand Prix. The Portuguese rider sustained a leg injury when he was hit by Marc Marquez on the third lap of the full race at the opening round at Portimão.

The absence of Oliveira brings the number of MotoGP riders out of the second round of the series to four. Pol Espargaro suffered a fractured vertebra and fractured jaw during practice on Friday. Enea Bastianini broke a shoulder blade during the sprint race on Saturday, when Luca Marini lost the front and wiped out the bike of Bastianini. And Marc Marquez suffered a fractured thumb in the crash he caused when he blocked the front and hit Jorge Martin and Miguel Oliveira.

The press release from the RNF Aprilia team appears below:

Injury forces Miguel Oliveira to sit out Argentina Grand Prix

Marc Marquez To Miss Argentina - And Avoid Double Long Lap Penalty

By David Emmett | Mon, 27/03/2023 - 07:07

Marc Marquez is to miss the Argentina round of MotoGP after having surgery on the thumb he fractured in the crash in which he clipped Jorge Martin and hit Miguel Oliveira. Marquez had surgery on Sunday night, after returning to Barcelona.

Missing the race in Argentina will also mean he will not have to serve the Long Lap Penalty imposed by the FIM Stewards for causing the crash. The wording of Long Lap Penalties always specifically names the event in which the penalty is to be served.

That was the case for Fabio Quartararo after the Dutch TT in Assen in 2022, for example, who had to serve a Long Lap Penalty at the following race in Silverstone. Ayumu Sasaki was handed a Long Lap Penalty in Argentina in 2022, after causing a crash at the previous round in Indonesia. All the others I checked also specifically named the grand prix in which the penalty was to be served.

2023 Moto2 Championship Standings After Round 1, Portimão, Portugal

Moto2 standings after the first race at Portimão:

David Emmett Sun, 26/03/2023 - 12:15
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