**”Jorge Martin Calls for Review of 1-Second Rule After Long Lap Penalty in Austrian MotoGP Sprint”**

Jorge Martin on Long Lap Penalty: ‘This Rule Needs a Review’

Although Jorge Martin concedes that the long lap penalty during the Sprint was ‘justified,’ he believes the 1-second rule should be re-evaluated, especially when a rider forfeits a position.

Jorge Martin took the long lap penalty that caused him to fall out of contention for the win early in the Austrian MotoGP Sprint, but believes that 'this rule needs to be reexamined'.

The Pramac Ducati rider, who began the race from pole position, found himself leading and engaged in a fierce braking contest with his championship contender Francesco Bagnaia as they approached the chicane during the second lap of the Saturday race.

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

Despite re-entering the race behind Bagnaia, Martin failed to drop the necessary 1-second compared to his typical pace for that sector, as determined by Race Control, which led to him being penalized with a long lap.

Update: Dorna has explained that the average time for each rider is calculated from the same race, excluding the first lap. This is the reason there was a delay in giving Martin the long lap penalty.

'The [1-second] penalty they incur is determined by comparing the sector time during which they took the shortcut to the average sector time recorded in that session.'

In addition: The segment where they are required to lose one second is designed in such a way that they can reach at least one intermediate timing checkpoint. This allows them to view an intermediate split time on their dashboard, indicating how much time they have lost or gained. They will still have time before the next checkpoint to lose the necessary amount of time.

According to Motomatters.com, Martin stated, "Although the rules are as they are, I felt like I lost time because I was initially in the lead and then dropped to second place. This wasn't due to going off track, but because I allowed him to pass me."

"The penalty is justified since it's stated in the rules. However, I believe this regulation should be reconsidered. When a rider loses time and allows another competitor to overtake during a race, it diminishes the excitement and deprives the audience of a thrilling contest between two leading racers."

When the defending champion Bagnaia noticed Martin's proximity at the conclusion of the second lap, he realized that the Spaniard would be penalized.

"The reigning double champion explained that when the lap ended and he noticed a 0.3-second gap, he thought, ‘Alright, he's going to get a penalty,’ because losing just 0.3 seconds didn't account for a 1-second deficit."

"Certainly, when a chicane is bypassed, it results in a time loss. However, the regulations stipulate that if a chicane is cut, the driver must yield 1 second, which he failed to do."

Martin took his penalty during the eighth lap out of a total of fourteen, which set him back approximately 4 seconds and put him behind Marc Marquez. However, he eventually moved back into second position after the Gresini rider had an accident and dropped out of the race.

Bagnaia and Martin are now level in the standings as they head into today's race, with the Italian aiming for his third consecutive MotoGP win in Austria.

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