Moto2: Anthony West erased from results
Anthony West's positive test for a prohibited stimulant, Methylhexaneamine, following last May's Le Mans Moto2 grand prix has come back to haunt the Australian.
According to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), West "explained that the prohibited substance had entered his system through an energy drink ("Mesomorph") that he had purchased, prepared, and consumed on the assumption that it did not contain any prohibited substances since it was purchased in a nutritional shop."
The infringement was originally announced last November, with West disqualified from his seventh place finish at the French Grand Prix and handed a one-month ban, which caused him to miss the 2012 Valencia season finale.
However the World Anti-Doping Agency then appealed to the CAS for a harsher punishment, the outcome of which has now been announced and means that all of West's results from the 2012 French GP until 19 October 2013 will be wiped from the record books.
Most notably the decision means that West has lost the two runner-up positions he claimed at the 2012 Malaysian and Australian rounds.
Gino Rea will thus be promoted from third to second at Sepang, with wild-card Hafizh Syahrin credited with third and a first GP podium. The revised Australian results will see Marc Marquez rise from third to second and Scott Redding fourth to third etc.
Remaining with the QMMF (Speed Up) team, West moved from 16th to 15th overall in this year's championship, but could only claim a best race finish of seventh. West, a 250cc race winner and former factory Kawasaki MotoGP rider, is due to continue with QMMF next season.
The full press release from the FIM explaining the revised punishment can be seen below:
"The FIM has taken note of the Award handed down on 22 November 2013 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case of rider Anthony West, participant in the 2012 FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix in the Moto2 Class.
"On 20 May 2012, Anthony West underwent an anti-doping test conducted by the FIM at the 2012 French Grand Prix. The urine sample obtained from Mr West revealed the presence of a stimulant (Methylhexaneamine) prohibited in competition under the FIM Anti-doping Code in force.
"Following a decision of 29 October 2012 handed down by the FIM International Disciplinary Court (CDI) to suspend Mr West for one month, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the CAS and called for a 24 month period of ineligibility to be imposed on Mr West.
"The case was referred to a three-man CAS Panel. A hearing was held on 21 August 2013 in Lausanne and the parties were heard. The FIM was represented by the Head of its Legal Department, Mr Richard Perret.
"The appeal by WADA against the CDI's decision was only partially upheld. The Panel suspended Anthony West for 18 months from which the one month's suspension already served was deducted.
"Taking into account the considerable delay in the conduct of the case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the CAS Panel decided to set the start of the suspension retroactively at 20 May 2012.
"Subject to the lodging of any appeal by one of the parties within 30 days with the Swiss Federal Tribunal and as provided for in the CAS Award, all the sporting results obtained by Anthony West from 20 May 2012 up to the expiry of the period of ineligibility (i.e. 19 October 2013) will be invalidated.
"The FIM will therefore modify the rankings of the 2012 and 2013 FIM Road Racing World Championships Grand Prix, Moto2 Class, accordingly. The FIM will also modify the rankings of the 2012 FIM Endurance Road Racing World Cup."
