MotoGP Montmeló, Bastianini’s weekend between lights and shadows
Partially good Friday for Aeneas Bastianini in that of Barcelonaon the circuit where the first free practice sessions valid for the Catalan Grand Prix. The #23, after receiving the great news of his renewal with Ducati for the 2024 season as well, was in fact penalized by three positions on the starting grid to have hindered a pilot at turn 1. As reported by the Race Direction, ‘Beast’ he was found guilty of having tackled the trajectory at that point of the track at low speed, effectively creating an impediment.
The official statement
The episode, which occurred during FP2, was therefore sanctioned with the following motivation: “The FIM stewards confirmed a 3-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race for having hindered another rider at the end of practice”. A real pity for the 25-year-old from Rimini, who during the tests also showed a better feeling with his bike than in recent weekends, as demonstrated by the direct move to Q2 for tomorrow’s qualifying with the ninth time
The FIM #MotoGP Stewards have handed @Beast23 a 3-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race due to impeding another rider at the end of Practice ⚠️#CatalanGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/eoM9GXTP7I
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 1, 2023
Sanction scheduled for Sunday
The penalty, as indicated by the official press release, will however come discounted Sunday, and not on the occasion of tomorrow’s Sprint. Consequently, based on the results of qualifying, always scheduled for tomorrow starting at 10:50 (live on both Sky Sport MotoGP and free-to-air on TV8), Bastianini will be demoted three positions on the grid in the long race on Sunday 3 September.
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