Champion rider Fabio Quartararo has scorned MotoGP officials after he was slapped with a penalty for a clumsy incident during the Dutch TT.
The factory Yamaha rider made a self-confessed “rookie error” while fighting over second place on lap five with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.
Quartararo, who won last year’s premier class title, returned to the pit lane only to crash once more upon returning to the race one lap down on lap 12 at the same turn.
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The Frenchman initially took responsibility for the crash, but posted a sarcastic remark on social media after he was handed down the decision by race officials.
When the championship returns from its six-week summer break, Quartararo will serve a long-lap penalty at the British Grand Prix.
“Well… a long lap for the next race,” championship leader Quartararo wrote.
“Now you cannot try and overtake because they think you are too ambitious.
“From the beginning of the year some riders made [a] “RACING INCIDENT” but apparently mine was too dangerous.
“Congratulations to the stewards for the amazing job you are doing,” he added with a zipped mouth emoji.
“Next time I will [not] try any overtake to think about not taking a penalty.”
The penalty also drew criticism from Yamaha team principal Lin Jarvis, who doubled down on Quartararo’s comments and questioned the consistency of officials.
It comes just two races after satellite Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami escaped punishment for a first lap, first turn crash at Barcelona that took Suzuki’s Alex Rins and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia out.
While Yamaha acknowledged Espargaro’s race was affected by the Assen crash, the team felt MotoGP stewards have been “measuring the severity of race incidents with inconsistent, subjective standards.”
“Fabio Quartararo, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team, and Yamaha have always striven for fairness and sportsmanship in MotoGP,” Jarvis said.
“We are disappointed to see the inequality with which penalties are applied by the FIM MotoGP Stewards panel.
“The inconsistency with which penalties are applied by the FIM MotoGP Stewards panel during the 2022 season damages the fairness of MotoGP and the faith in the stewards’ jurisdiction,” he added.
“There have been at least three more serious race incidents in the MotoGP Class (resulting in riders retiring from the race and/or causing injuries) that were left unpunished.”
“We wanted to appeal the decision of the stewards on Sunday at the Assen track, but this type of penalty is not open to discussion or appeal.
“We then wanted to raise the issue, as a matter of principle, with CAS (Court of Arbitration of Sport), but equally such a matter is not open to appeal.
“It is precisely for these reasons that correct, balanced, and consistent decisions should be taken by the stewards in the first place and executed within the correct, reasonable time frame.”
Quartararo leads the MotoGP title race to the tune of 21 points over Espargaro.
The British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit takes place across August 5-7.
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