Repsol Honda to appeal Marquez MotoGP penalty "modification"

Repsol Honda has announced that it is appealing the modification to the penalty awarded to Marc Marquez following the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix last weekend. 

UPDATE: Following a hearing held on the Thursday before the Argentinian Grand Prix between the Repsol Honda Team and the MotoGP Appeals Stewards, the case has been forwarded to the MotoGP Court of Appeal. Original article can be read below.

Marquez was awarded a double-long-lap penalty after the race in Portimao for his causing of the crash which took both himself and Miguel Oliveira out of the season-opening Portuguese Grand Prix.

Initially, it seemed as though Marquez had come off worst from the incident, with a broken thumb and the aforementioned penalty, but it then became clear that, firstly, the FIM MotoGP Stewards’ wording of the penalty to specifically refer to the Argentinian Grand Prix as the event at which Marquez’ penalty must be served meant that the #93’s absence from the Termas de Rio Hondo race would mean he would not have to serve the penalty at all; and, secondly, that Miguel Oliveira would not be racing in Termas either, following the discovery of ligament damage which would take time to heal.

Following the discovery that Marquez would be able to avoid serving the penalty by missing the Argentinian race, the FIM MotoGP Stewards amended their penalty notification to clarify that Marquez would have to serve it at the next MotoGP race at which he was declared fit. 

However, Repsol Honda has now decided to appeal the amendment to the Stewards’ penalty notification, citing that the original penalty awarded to Marquez was “final and definitive,” and that the FIM MotoGP Stewards had no grounds to modify the penalty, as such a "modification," it says in a press release, “is not in line with the current regulations of the FIM for the MotoGP World Championship."

The Repsol Honda Team statement continues: “For this reason, the Repsol Honda Team intends to use all the means of recourse offered by the regulations in force to defend its rights and legitimate interests, which it considers violated as a result of the latest resolution adopted, and in particular has duly submitted an Appeal before the FIM Appeal Stewards.”

Repsol Honda’s appeal will be heard today (30 March 2023) by the MotoGP Appeals Stewards.

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