Marc Marquez hits back at new MotoGP penalty for missing PR events

MotoGP has introduced fines for riders missing promotional activities at races, which reigning champion Marc Marquez has hit back at by claiming “we have the show on the track”.

According to Motorsport, an email was circulated to riders at the Indonesian Grand Prix which stated they would be fined €5000 for missing promotional events.

The new rule was put in place for the ‘Hero Walk’ on Sunday morning, which is a meet-and-greet zone for fans.

Riders must spend a minimum of 10 minutes there or be fined, with the punishment increasing with each offence, while sporting penalties have also been touted.

“There are other ways to grow the sport”

MotoGP has reportedly been monitoring a lack of engagement with these events from riders for several weeks.

However, the rule change comes a week on from Marc Marquez sending a stunt double to replace him in a pre-race kart event in Japan.

At the time, Marquez explained that he needed to rest his shoulder, and that he must prioritise himself and his championship challenge over PR exercises.

Asked for his thoughts on it after finishing sixth at the Indonesian Grand Prix, Marquez said he wants to help MotoGP grow, but believes too much is being asked of riders now.

This, he says, will only get worse in 2027 under the new race weekend format that features a sprint qualifying.

“As a rider, we are, and I’m the first one who wants MotoGP to grow and be bigger and bigger,” he said.

“But I think we can have different ways to grow the sport without pushing the riders so much.

“This is my feeling. Now, we have a lot of things to do, because it’s not only the MotoGP things.

“We have sponsor things during the weekends, the meetings, warm-up, then you change quick [for the] parade, then Hero Walk, a lot of people [there].

“Then you come back, another meeting from the warm-up because you didn’t have time.

“So, in the end, we are athletes.

“Next year, even the schedule is more and more because time on the track is the same but it’s more intense, and it will be more time with the leather suits on.

“So, in the end, we are the first ones that would like to help the championship, but there are other ways to grow. We have the show on the race track, not outside.”