Aprilia and Bezzecchi appeal suspension as MotoGP stewards deliver their verdict

Bezzecchi received a suspension on Saturday after he made physical contact with a marshal following his crash in the sprint race. Video footage shows the Italian hurrying toward his Aprilia to switch off the bike, first forcefully shoving a marshal aside and then striking him in the face with an open hand.

The stewards concluded that Bezzecchi pushed and hit marshals while they were attempting to recover his bike. According to race control, that is an action detrimental to the interests of the sport. On that basis, it was decided to exclude the Aprilia rider from Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Aprilia did not accept this and filed an appeal with the FIM MotoGP Appeal Stewards. That appeal has now been rejected. The appeals panel fully upheld the original decision of the MotoGP stewards, once again confirming that Bezzecchi is not allowed to start in Brno.

This is a significant setback for the world championship leader. Bezzecchi already left without points on Saturday after his crash in the sprint race and now risks losing more ground to his rivals on Sunday. In particular, Ducati riders Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, as well as Fabio Di Giannantonio, can make major gains in the title fight. Jorge Martin can also close the gap significantly, but Bezzecchi’s teammate starts on the back foot: he has to come from P10 and still faces a double long-lap penalty.

Still, the case may not be completely closed. Under the regulations, Aprilia can file one final appeal with the Court of Arbitration International (CAI), the highest appellate body within the FIM. Normally, such a procedure must be initiated within five days, but the rules also allow for an expedited process. In addition, the CAI can decide to temporarily suspend the enforcement of the penalty while the appeal is pending.

In theory, that would mean Bezzecchi could still line up for the Czech Grand Prix if a request for suspension is granted or if an urgent procedure is completed before the race. However, the CAI also has the authority to uphold the existing penalty or even increase it.

For now, Aprilia has not announced whether the team will actually make use of that final appeal option. As it stands, Bezzecchi’s suspension remains in effect. Meanwhile, the social media channels of both the team and Bezzecchi himself have been conspicuously quiet. That could suggest it’s not a closed matter for Aprilia, but for now that remains speculation.

It is not the first time the Italian has run into trouble after an incident with marshals. During the 2022 Valencia Grand Prix, as a MotoGP rookie, he was fined after grabbing and pushing a marshal following a crash in which his Ducati caught fire.