Track marshal speaks out after Bezzecchi slap incident: 'I understand his situation'
11:05, 21 Jun
0 Comments
Andrew McLarneyMotoGP Reporter
Andrew McLarney is a MotoGP reporter for GPBlog. With four years experience as a professional writer across the sports and video game industries, his experience as a K1 Premier League competitor evolved into a fascination with all forms of combat sport and eventually motorsport — with MotoGP becoming his primary focus. On top of that he is also an avid follower of MXGP and AMA Supercross as well as F1 and GT racing.
The track marshal in Brno who was slapped in the face by MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi has spoken out for the first time regarding the incident.
The controversial moment, in which the rider can be seen running frantically towards a track marshal and shoving him away from the bike before slapping him shortly after. As the on-board footage shows, the marshal picked up the bike and, apparently inadvertently, revving the engine to a dangerously high RPM which fortunately did not result in a more serious incident. Bezzecchi is then seen running over and striking the marshal while screaming "Cazzo fai!" ("What the f*** are you doing?")
While Bezzecchi has since apologised for striking out at the official, the ugly incident was already viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media, prompting a quick and authoritative response. Despite an appeal from Aprilia, Bezzecchi has been outright banned from taking part in today's Grand Prix and there could yet be further punishment to come.
The Stricken Marshal Speaks Out:
The trackside marshal who was the victim of the assault appears to have taken to ordeal in relatively good, spirits despite the unwanted attention. Going by the name of Ladislav, he has finally been able to give his perspective on the incident.
ADVERTISEMENT
In an interview with TNT Sports, Ladislav explained his side, and sympathized with Bezzecchi's anger to a certain extent:
"In that moment I was a bit shocked and at night when the wave of the video and all the fans seeing it, I mean, the whole world, I was really down because it's something new for me."
When asked to describe what had happened leading up to the attack, Ladislav gave the following account:
"I mean, he was surely stressed, and I understand his situation. He crashed. So I did my job, I went for the bike and I picked it up, pressed the clutch and tried to pick it up, because it was still on and the bike started rolling. So I wanted to put it back down and it revved up. He probably thought that I did it on purpose. It was a pure accident. And then everyone saw what happened."
The marshal then confirmed that Bezzecchi had indeed apologized to him and gifted him a pair of gloves - ironically the same ones which were used to slap him the day before:
ADVERTISEMENT
"Yes, I have seen it [the apology], and he just came to me and apologised to me in person. So, I mean, I understand him and I wish him the best of luck. It really matters to me that he apologised."
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on GoogleRead more about:
latest news
Austrian Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 26.06.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 27.06.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 28.06.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 26.06.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 27.06.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 28.06.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
Times are in your local timezone
Popular on GPBlog
1
F1 Today | Hamilton warns English fans, Ferrari tipped to shine in Austria as well
2017 times read
2
Marc Marquez capitalizes on Bezzecchi ban with huge win in Brno
1832 times read
3
Moto3 Results: Malaysia's Hakim Danish claims stunning first win in Brno
1763 times read
4
Championship leader Bezzecchi banned from Czech GP after striking track marshal
1739 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 156 | |
2 | FerrariFER | 115 | |
3 | MercedesMER | 106 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 75 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 73 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 70 | |
7 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 55 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 37 | |
9 | AlpineALP | 32 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 28 |
Loading
