TARDOZZI BACKS NO-PENALTY CALL AFTER MARQUEZ-BEZZECCHI SPRINT COLLISION

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi has backed the stewards’ decision not to penalise Marc Marquez after his collision with Marco Bezzecchi in Saturday’s Qatar MotoGP Sprint, describing the incident as a racing accident.

Bezzecchi attempted to pass on the inside at Turn 1, but the two riders made contact and the Aprilia rider crashed. Marquez stayed upright, although his airbag deployed. The FIM Stewards reviewed the incident and took no further action, a ruling that displeased Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola. Rivola argued that Bezzecchi could not avoid the collision and that Marquez moved across into him. Marquez said afterwards that he had followed his usual line and did not know Bezzecchi was alongside. Fabio di Giannantonio, who finished second, challenged that account, telling him: “You have to look before closing the line like that. He was on the inside.”

Tardozzi argued that Marquez had little reason to take a dangerous gamble from the outside. “It was a race accident, and no way that Marc takes a risk from the outside, because normally it’s the rider on the outside who is in trouble,” he said. He added that the stewards had examined the situation carefully and that he considered their decision correct.