Marquez sanctioned for sickening crash

Moto2 World Championship leader Marc Marquez has been found guilty of riding in an irresponsible manner and will have one minute added to his time in Saturday’s qualifying.

The decision could deal a severe blow to the 18-year-old’s title hopes, just one race after he finally edged ahead of Germany’s Stefan Bradl, as it almost certainly means he will start dead last in the 39-strong Moto2 field for Sunday’s 25-lap race.

Suter rider Marquez leads by 1pt after finishing the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi a fortnight ago in second place.

But in the category’s first session at Phillip Island on Friday he crashed heavily into the back of Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot’s bike while on a hot lap after the chequered flag had been shown to end morning practice.

Marquez, who had fallen earlier in the session at turn two, was desperate to get one final flying lap in as practice finished when he encountered a slow-moving Wilairot at the 225km/h turn three.

At full speed, Marquez smashed into the back of Wilairot’s FTR machine, with both riders tumbling into the gravel trap on the outside of the corner. The Spaniard suffered minor abrasions in the crash, but Wilairot was taken to hospital in Melbourne for precautionary scans after sustaining injuries to his back and left knee.

On Friday evening Race Direction imposed the time penalty which was appealed by Marquez’s Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol. The FIM Stewards, representing the sport’s governing body the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, endorsed Race Direction’s decision.

Speaking after MotoGP practice on Friday, world championship leader Casey Stoner was critical of Marquez’s role in the incident.

“That was extremely immature of Marc,” Stoner said. “He went out with 50 seconds to go (and) obviously he was pushing to try and get some feeling in the last lap. Number one, people shouldn’t be just cruising on the racing line, but number two, Marc should not have been pushing that hard.”

Marquez, who has won six of the past eight Moto2 races, was a lacklustre 17th in afternoon practice, finishing 0.8 seconds adrift of pace-setter Alex de Angelis (Motobi).