Jorge Martin Calls for MotoGP Rule Review After Controversial Long Lap Penalty in Austria Sprint

Jorge Martin Calls for Examination of Rule Following Long Lap Penalty in Austria

Jorge Martin Acknowledges Long Lap Sprint Penalty in Austria Was 'Justified'

Jorge Martin acknowledged the extended lap penalty which took him out of contention for the win early on in the Austrian MotoGP Sprint, but believes 'this rule needs to be reconsidered.'

The Pramac Ducati competitor was at the forefront when he got caught up in a contest of braking skills against championship contender Francesco Bagnaia while they were racing towards the chicane during the second lap of the Saturday event.

Martin's back tire lifted dramatically, causing him to let go of the brakes and veer off course.

Despite falling back behind Bagnaia, Martin didn't concede the necessary 1-second (in comparison to his 'standard average time' for that sector 'as determined by Race Control') and consequently was penalized with a long lap.

Dorna explained that they calculate the average time for each participant using data from the same race, but they omit the first lap. This process led to a delay in issuing the long lap penalty to Martin.

"The [1-second] penalty they incur is determined by the difference between the sector time they achieved by taking a shortcut and the average sector time set during the same session.

"The specific segment where they need to slow down by one second is determined in such a way that it enables them to cross at least one checkpoint in between. This ensures they can view a partial time difference on their dashboard, indicating their time loss or gain, while still having sufficient time to adjust their speed before reaching the next checkpoint."

Motomatters.com cites Martin, who remarked, "Indeed, the rules are set in this way, yet I figured, 'Alright, I've fallen behind, I was leading, now I'm in second place'. Not due to veering off course, but rather because I allowed him to pass by,"

"The sanction is justified, as it aligns with the existing rules. However, it's definitely necessary to reconsider and assess this regulation."

"When you fall behind in a race allowing another competitor to overtake, the excitement diminishes, depriving spectators of a thrilling contest between two leading racers."

As the current champion, Bagnaia observed Martin's proximity at the conclusion of the second lap, he realized the Spaniard was going to be penalized.

"After the lap was completed and I noticed he was trailing by 0.3 seconds, my thought was, 'Alright, he's going to face a penalty', given that he hadn't fallen behind by a full second," the current two-time champion elaborated.

"Definitely, if you bypass a chicane, you're already behind time-wise. However, the regulations are clear that should you take a shortcut, you must return 1 second, which he failed to do."

Martin incurred the penalty during the 8th lap out of a total of 14, which set him back by approximately 4 seconds and resulted in him falling behind Marc Marquez. However, he reclaimed the second position after the Gresini racer had an accident and was forced out

Bagnaia and Martin concluded Saturday tied in points at the top of the MotoGP standings.

On Sunday, during the grand prix, Bagnaia secured another win, with Martin finishing second once more. This allowed the defending champion to depart Austria holding a five-point advantage in the lead.

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