Marco Bezzecchi Disqualified from the Brno GP for Slapping Someone: What Happened?
Marco Bezzecchi will not be on the starting grid for the 2026 Czech Republic Grand Prix. This is the sensational decision concerning the leader of the MotoGP riders’ championship, who, during the Sprint Race in Brno, first shoved and then slapped one of the track marshals. The verb is in the indicative rather than the conditional because the sequence of events is very clear, and there is also evidence provided by video footage. The incident occurred after the Aprilia rider’s crash and subsequent retirement, which took place two laps before the checkered flag.
The decision was made on Saturday evening by the FIM and risks setting a very serious precedent for the future of MotoGP. “Following an accident,” reads the federation’s official statement, “Bezzecchi shoved and struck the track marshals who were attempting to recover his motorcycle.” The consequence is automatic exclusion from the Czech Republic Grand Prix, as stipulated for a violation of Article 3.3.2.2 of the MotoGP regulations. The rider from Romagna is alleged to have “harmed the interests of the competition or the sport.”
Following the FIM’s decision, Aprilia has decided to file an appeal. According to reports coming out of Brno, Bezzecchi’s anger was reportedly sparked by a careless mistake by the steward, who—while retrieving the still-running RS-GP26 from the gravel—touched the throttle grip, causing the engine RPM to spike. In fact, in a video clip, the rider can be heard asking the steward what he was doing, using some very colorful language in Italian. His absence from the Czech Republic Grand Prix would effectively be an unintended boost for his teammate Jorge Martin, who currently trails him in the MotoGP riders’ championship by 15 points.
Bezzecchi’s crash in the Sprint race came at the worst possible moment: the rider from Romagna was in fifth place when he went down, just as Martin was finishing in fifth place and picking up valuable points. Pecco Bagnaia won the short race, securing his first victory since the 2025 Malaysian Sprint, while holding off a tenacious Ai Ogura throughout the race. Marc Marquez also made it onto the podium on the other factory Ducati, while Fabio Di Giannantonio finished fourth.
The Brno weekend had gotten off to a promising start for the Aprilia team, with Ogura securing a surprising pole position in 1:51.139, breaking the track record he had already set on Friday. Bezzecchi had finished qualifying in fourth place, the top of the Aprilia factory riders, with Marc Marquez and Diogo Moreira rounding out the second row. This starting grid promised a hard-fought Sprint race, before the World Championship leader’s crash radically changed the course of the day.
Bezzecchi’s exclusion from Sunday’s race comes at a delicate moment for the championship. The rider from Romagna, who leads the standings by 15 points over Martin, had already had to contend with a season not without its pitfalls: in Hungary, the previous weekend, he had been involved in the crash triggered by Martin himself at the first corner, which forced him to retire along with Aldeguer and Fernandez. That day saw Marc Marquez dominate and close the gap in the standings, bringing him to within 72 points of the leader.
With Bezzecchi out of Sunday’s race, all eyes are now on Martin, who must make the most of this opportunity despite the two long-lap penalties he’ll have to serve during the main race—the result of penalties accumulated over the course of the weekend. This adds another variable to the Czech Republic Grand Prix, which is already shaping up to be full of twists and turns, with Bagnaia determined to capitalize on his current momentum—three consecutive podium finishes—to chip away at the gap in the overall standings.
