Bastianini Advocates for In-Race Penalty Appeal Process Following Controversial Catalunya Penalty

Bastianini seeks to discuss the possibility of MotoGP teams challenging penalties during the race at the Safety Commission, following his experience with a long lap penalty in Catalunya.

Enea Bastianini intends to bring up the topic of challenging penalties given during MotoGP races at the upcoming Safety Commission meeting in Mugello.

The leading Ducati racer intentionally disregarded a long lap penalty issued in the previous Sunday's Catalunya race, convinced that it was mistakenly imposed.

However, by not fulfilling the initial penalty, the situation quickly intensified to two extended lap penalties, followed by a ride-through, and ultimately, when these penalties were disregarded as well, a 32-second time penalty was added to the post-race results.

Following a meeting with the FIM Stewards, Bastianini states they concurred that the initial long lap penalty imposed on him was incorrect.

The Ducati team racer maintains that veering off course was his only choice while engaging in a braking duel with Alex Marquez, subsequently dropping over the mandated one-second penalty for taking a shortcut on the track.

However, given the current inability to reverse a long lap penalty incurred during a race, his effort to eliminate the additional 32 seconds from his race time was deemed 'unfeasible'.

Permitting appeals poses a risk as it could significantly prolong the duration of a race due to its time-consuming nature, leading to a delay in announcing the official outcomes well beyond the race's conclusion.

However, Bastianini is advocating for the implementation of a swift mechanism that allows teams to contest decisions made during the race which they believe are evidently incorrect.

"Bastianini mentioned on Thursday at Mugello that it's crucial to discuss the Montelo incident during the Safety Commission meeting scheduled for tomorrow."

From my perspective, the circumstances were transparent, and after watching numerous videos, I believe it also became much clearer to the [Stewards] than it was previously.

"For me, a change is necessary since the current situation isn't right, not just for me, but for all riders. This time I was affected, but it's not an isolated incident. We'll see what happens tomorrow."

When asked about his views on potential changes, the Italian mentioned, "I believe it's appropriate – including with the team – to have the opportunity to discuss this during the race."

"After the competition concludes, there's no room for alterations. Once the penalty is imposed, that's final. Despite my efforts to recover the 32 seconds, the rules made it unattainable."

Fabio di Giannantonio expressed empathy towards Bastianini.

"In Le Mans, I was penalized with a long lap for significantly reducing my time by cutting through the chicane in the first sector," he mentioned.

"Currently, it appears that the rules dictate the following: upon receiving a penalty, one has no choice but to accept it. The only option is to make the best of the situation presented by that penalty."

"Indeed, it would be beneficial, perhaps someday in the future, if teams or riders could quickly communicate with the [Stewards] to gain a clearer understanding of the situation."

"Furthermore, as Enea mentioned, I believe executing it during the race is a smart strategy. It levels the playing field for all participants."

"However, we're discussing potential scenarios or uncertainties. Currently, the rules stand as they are. Therefore, there are times when acceptance is necessary, despite the difficulty it may pose."

If Bastianini had complied with the original long lap penalty, despite his disagreement, his time loss would have been limited to 2-3 seconds instead of forfeiting seven points by falling from 9th to 18th position.

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