MotoGP pitlane entry rules clamped down after Marc Marquez Jerez incident

Marc Marquez’s pitlane entry at the MotoGP Jerez sprint race after a crash caused a massive stir, but is unlikely to be repeated from the French Grand Prix onwards.

The reigning world champion crashed at the final corner of the Jerez circuit during the sprint as rain intensified, before remounting and crossing over the grass into pitlane for his wet bike.

Marc Marquez went on to win the dramatic sprint, though there were numerous calls for him to be penalised for gaining an unfair advantage.

As reported by Crash at the time, Marquez broke no rules.

Race direction notes on pitlane entry only stipulated that riders could not cross the boundary lines on the left-hand side of the lane.

Marquez crossed into pitlane from the left. He also did not exceed pitlane speed limit, nor did he ignore any marshal instructions.

The Ducati rider noted afterwards that his handlebar was bent, while he ensured that his engine was still running when he crashed; if it had stopped, he would not have been allowed to restart from the run-off areas under new rules.

‘Marquez rule’ to be drafted as clampdown comes into force

The pre-event notes for this weekend’s French Grand Prix state that riders must not cut any of the white lines on the right-hand side on the way into pitlane.

Pit-entry at Le Mans is on the right-hand side coming out of Turn 12, and then arcs around a sharp right into the pitlane.

The exact wording in the race direction information is as follows: “We remind you that the pit entry lane must be respected.

“To avoid cutting corners and dangerous riding on pit entry, riders must not ride outside the painted kerb on the inside of pit entry, and must stay inside the solid white line on the right-hand side of the pit entry, until they have passed the 60kmh speed limit sign.

“DURING RACES (eg. MotoGP Flag-to-Flag race), infractions will be penalised. Using the asphalt inside the pit entry kerb on the right-hand side, and crossing the white line on the right-hand side after the kerb will be subject to an immediate penalty, not counted as a track limit or shortcut.”

There is no wording suggesting that if a rider crashed at the final two corners that they could not do what Marquez did at Jerez.

However, Crash understands from sources in the paddock that a meeting has been held already this week where teams asked for a new protocol to be written expressly forbidding a repeat of the Marquez/Jerez incident.

This will not likely be introduced into writing this year, due to the complex nature of it as not every pit-entry is the same.

That said, this will now be policed during races from Le Mans onwards, with penalties to be applied at stewards’ discretion if an unfair advantage is deemed to have been gained.