FIM Stewards announce Australian MotoGP penalties for Francesco Bagnaia, Brad Binder
FIM MotoGP Stewards announce Australian Grand Prix penalties for Francesco Bagnaia and Brad Binder.
Francesco Bagnaia and Brad Binder have both been hit with a three-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Australian MotoGP.
The pair were punished for separate incidents in which they held up another rider in qualifying.
Binder obstructed a furious Johann Zarco in Qualifying 1, while Bagnaia was also judged to have been ‘riding slow online, disturbing another rider’ when he held up good friend Marco Bezzecchi in Qualifying 2.
Both incidents were a 'first offence'.
Luca Marini, who was also near the Bagnaia-Bezzecchi incident at the Turn 4 'Miller Corner', has not been punished.
Zarco was left 15th on the grid but Bezzecchi had enough time to fight for pole position, eventually losing out to Fabio Quartararo by 0.031s.
The penalties will drop Bagnaia from 11th to 14th, and Binder from 13th to 16th on the grid.
The penalties only apply to the grand prix, which will now start one hour later than planned, and not to Saturday afternoon’s Sprint race.
Binder was also placed under investigation when Aprilia stand-in Lorenzo Savadori crashed after almost hitting the back of his KTM in Qualifying 1.
No action has been announced for that incident.
Saturday was Ducati's toughest qualifying in recent years with Gresini's Alex Marquez, looking to confirm second in the world championship over Bagnaia, the leading Desmosedici rider in sixth.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
