Max mechanics leave team after ‘unjustifiable’ Fernandez incident

The team members had already been fined and suspended from the upcoming Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix by the FIM Stewards.

That ban was deferred due to “immigration and travel restrictions” for the Japanese and Thai rounds, which made finding last-minute staff replacements difficult and “could potentially cause a safety concern for their rider”.

While that was the end of the matter for the MotoGP Stewards, the mechanics were also subject to the Sterilgarda team’s own disciplinary procedure. The end result is that “we have concluded prematurely the collaboration between the individuals involved and our Team”.

• Thailand MotoGP, Buriram Circuit - Warm-up Results
• Thailand MotoGP, Buriram - Full Qualifying Results

Max Biaggi: ‘The damage to our name is immeasurable’

The full statement from Biaggi’s team, issued at Buriram on Sunday, can be seen below:

‘Following the unjustifiable episode, that saw as protagonists two members of the Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing, during the qualifying of the Aragon Grand Prix, we announce that we have concluded prematurely the collaboration between the individuals involved and our Team.

‘The two individuals in question, during qualifying 2 of the Grand Prix Animoca Brands De Aragòn, hindered the exit from the pits of the driver Adriàn Fernàndez, in an aggressive and dangerous way.

‘From the very beginning we made an apology to Adriàn Fernàndez and Team Tech3 KTM, but we also made it clear that we would punish unconditionally those responsible for such a gesture. All this was immediately reaffirmed by our Team Owner, Max Biaggi.

‘In these years of the World Championship, the Max Racing Team achieved great results on track thanks to the support of Husqvarna Motorcycles, of Sterilgarda Alimenti, of all the other sponsors, and every member of the Team, first of all our Team Owner, the six times World Champion Max Biaggi.

‘The passion, dedication and sacrifice, that each of the subjects just mentioned has fielded in recent years., have forced us to carry out a drastic action, to protect the name of each of the interested parties, the ethics of sport and the one of the Max Racing Team.

‘We leave you to the words of our Team Owner Max Biaggi.

‘Max Biaggi – Team Owner: “I personally followed and coordinated the procedure of formal noticing to the two members of my Team, responsible for the events against the rider Adriàn Fernàndez and the Team Tech3 KTM.

‘“After officially asking the interested parties for clarifications and justifications for what happened, in compliance with the contractual prescriptions, we arrived at the unpleasant, but necessary epilogue.

‘“As a Team, we believe we must completely separate our road by those guilty of unsportsmanlike behaviour, as well as being against rules and regulations. Such an action cannot and must not remain unpunished, nor unnoticed.

‘“The damage to our name is immeasurable.”’

Unfortunately, the Sterilgarda team also looks to have been indirectly drawn into a further personnel issue.

A video surfaced on social media over the Thai Grand Prix weekend of a CIP team member kicking Tom Booth-Amos at the 2019 Buriram round.

The individual in the video is understood to have since moved to Max Racing. There is no suggestion that Biaggi or the Sterilgarda team had any knowledge of the 2019 incident, which is now under investigation by Dorna, before this weekend.