Marc Marquez hits out at penalty chaos: “I don’t know why they changed it”
The Repsol Honda rider will miss this weekend’s Spanish MotoGP at Jerez after doctors told him it was “too risky” to return so soon after hand surgery.
But Marquez’s eventual comeback is clouded in controversy because the MotoGP Court of Appeals have not yet decided if he must still serve the double long lap penalty he received for crashing into Miguel Oliveira at Portimao.
Marquez said: “I received a penalty on Sunday after Portimao, which I completely agreed with.
“Then, I don’t know why they changed it after two days.
“The team decided to appeal. As you can imagine, when you are injured you don’t think about these things.
“Especially when the doctors say to you that it will be six-eight weeks, and you will lose three-four races.
“Believe me, the worst penalty for a rider is to be injured and to lose three races.
“The team continued with the appeal.
“Because, normally when you receive a penalty, if you agree and you sign the papers, it must be that penalty. Not another one.”
Marquez signed sanctioning forms for a double long lap penalty to be specifically served at the Argentina MotoGP, the Spanish media previously reported.
But when he missed Argentina due to injury, the rule was reworded to insist that Marquez serves his penalty whenever he is next fit to compete.
Honda appealed the rewording, claiming that a rule cannot be changed after it has already been implemented.
The final decision from the MotoGP Court of Appeal has yet to be made.
Marquez is targeting a return to Le Mans on May 14.
