Mechanics banned for 'dirty' qualifying tactics

2 years ago 144

A Moto3 squad brag has slammed the "unacceptable" behaviour of 2 of his mechanics banned for 2 races for interfering with a rivals bike.

As Tech3 KTM rider Adrian Fernandez attempted to permission the pits successful the 2nd portion of qualifying for the Moto3 Aragon Grand Prix successful the eastbound of Spain, the 2 mechanics from the Max Racing Team appeared to drawback onto the motorcycle to hinder him leaving the pits.

As a result, Fernandez stalled the motorcycle and by the clip they re-fired it, helium did not person capable clip to circulate the way to marque it backmost to the commencement enactment to commence a blistery lap.

He volition commencement start the Moto3 contention - the 3rd tier beneath MotoGP - from 15th arsenic a result.

The 2 Max Racing Team mechanics person each been handed two-race bans for the incident.

In car racing, drivers often look for wide way successful qualifying to maximise downforce produced by the cards. But owed to the debased powerfulness of Moto3 bikes and a reliance connected mechanical grip arsenic opposed to aerodynamic grip, riders often travel 1 another successful qualifying to prime up a slipstream.

The mechanics, perchance incensed by Fernandez trying to prime up a tow connected their 2 riders, past held him up. Fernandez besides rode for Max Racing Team past tear.

In a statement, MotoGP stewards said the 2 mechanics were "found to beryllium interfering and making interaction with the motorcycle and rider of different squad successful an assertive and unsafe manner"

They were some fined conscionable nether $3000 and handed deferred two-race bans for the Australian Grand Prix astatine Phillip Island and the Malaysian Grand Prix astatine Sepang.

The mechanic's boss, erstwhile World Superbike Champion Max Biaggi, said his 2 unit members would some beryllium punished beyond that handed down by MotoGP.

"It's wide for maine - I was determination ... I didn't announcement due to the fact that it was quick, I noticed erstwhile idiosyncratic sent maine the tweet," the Italian told The Race.

"I saw. I privation to talk with the mechanics what happened. They were speaking precise (quiet mumbles)… why? This is unbelievable.

"I went to Tech3 and I asked what happened. They explained to me. I said sorry, I said this is unacceptable, and I volition marque immoderate action. So, from my constituent of view, it's unacceptable. Any aspect, immoderate class, anything.

"(Even if governing body) Dorna oregon IRTA will, I don't know, punish someway ... I volition bash my ain connected the team. There volition beryllium a punishment for the behaviour.

"It doesn't mean thing if they did connected intent oregon not. It was wide to me. And unacceptable."

Tech3 brag Herve Poncharal said helium was shocked erstwhile shown the footage.

"They each travel each other! This is the game! This is not the regularisation but this is what they're doing," helium told The Race.

"I deliberation this is the archetypal clip I ever saw that. It's similar erstwhile you person soiled things happening successful a shot lucifer and you spot it unrecorded connected the camera … I deliberation erstwhile you person shown it, and I deliberation determination were rather a fewer radical who watched it, you cognize that has happened and you tin archer the radical 'don't bash that again'.

"The much input and absorption connected it, the much immoderate radical cognize that has happened and it shouldn't beryllium done due to the fact that this is dirty."

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