A collision involving multiple riders during the initial lap of Saturday’s 14-lap sprint race occurred when Martin, attempting to make up ground from his 12th position on the starting grid, made contact with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo while trying to pass on the inside of Turn 1.
This led to Quartararo being pushed into Maverick Vinales, which subsequently caused crashes involving Marco Bezzecchi, Johann Zarco, and Miguel Oliveira.
As a result of this incident, Quartararo, Vinales, and Enea Bastianini from Ducati ran off the track amid the chaos, dropping down the rankings. Meanwhile, Martin emerged from Turn 1 in the sixth position.
Following the race, an investigation was conducted into this incident. Despite being under scrutiny due to a separate collision with Luca Marini during the seventh lap while overtaking for the third spot, Martin managed to finish third.
While he evaded consequences for the latter incident, Martin was issued a penalty requiring him to take a long lap in the upcoming grand prix he competes in, which is scheduled for Sunday’s Austrian GP. Despite the penalty, he retains his sprint race podium finish.
A statement released by the FIM stewards panel stated, “On August 19, 2023, at 15:02:32, during the MotoGP sprint event of the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Osterreich, you were observed riding in a reckless manner that resulted in a crash at Turn 1. This action goes against the specific guidelines provided to MotoGP participants and teams, disrupting the session and being deemed as irresponsible riding that endangered other competitors. Consequently, this act violates Article 1.21.2 of the FIM World Championship grand prix regulations.”
“For these reasons, the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel has imposed a penalty requiring you to take a long lap. This long lap penalty will need to be completed by the rider during the next grand prix race in which the rider participates.”
Martin expressed his belief that he was not at fault for either of the incidents he was involved in. On the other hand, Bezzecchi and Marini from VR46 expressed dissatisfaction with the way the stewards handled their cases.
Following the Austria sprint race, Martin, a Pramac rider, currently occupies the second position in the standings, trailing race winner and championship leader Francesco Bagnaia by 46 points.
Additional Reading:
- Marquez Open to Possibility of Zarco Joining Honda Alongside LCR MotoGP Team in 2024
- VR46 Duo Expresses Anger at Stewards’ Decisions After Clashes in Martin’s Austria MotoGP Sprint
- Quartararo Believes Penalty in Austria MotoGP Sprint Race is ‘Unjust’ After Reviewing Replay
