MotoGP: Valentino Rossi given penalty for Malaysian GP clash with Marc Marquez

VALENTINO Rossi will start from last place at the title-deciding final race of the MotoGP season as punishment for his clash with Marc Marquez.

Yamaha MotoGP rider Rossi of Italy sprays champagne on the podium after placing third at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix ...

VALENTINO Rossi will start from the back of the grid at the final round of the MotoGP world championship as punishment for his clash with Marc Marquez at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Rossi and Marquez clashed six laps into the race after one of the most thrilling battles in the sport’s history.

The Yamaha rider took a wide line at Turn 14, pushing Marquez wide before the pair made contact, the Honda rider crashing out of the race while Rossi raced on to finish in third place.

VIDEO: Rossi and Marquez collide during the Malaysian GP

RESULTS: Click here for provisional results from the Malaysian GP

REPORT: Pedrosa takes dominant win in controversial Malaysian GP

WHAT ROSSI SAID: ‘Marquez was playing dirty games; I didn’t kick him’

WHAT MARQUEZ SAID: ‘It’s no racing incident; he push me with his leg’

MotoGP Race Direction elected to investigate the incident after the race.

It is believed that Jorge Lorenzo, who finished second in the race and trimmed his championship deficit to Rossi to just seven points, interrupted the hearing and demanded his Yamaha teammate be disqualified.

After a long hearing and an even longer wait, MotoGP officials confirmed that Rossi was handed three penalty points against his licence, ensuring he will start last at the season-deciding race at Valencia in two weeks’ time.

He received no other sanction and will keep his third placing at Sepang, while Marquez was not sanctioned for his role in the race.

Rossi’s Yamaha team appealed the decision, but the original verdict was upheld.

It is understood that the man himself left the circuit immediately after the hearing, electing not to face the post-race press conference that was postponed until after the hearing.

Should Lorenzo win the Valencia decider, Rossi would need to finish second to beat him to the title. Starting from the rear of the grid would make that a seemingly impossible task.

THE FULL STATEMENT FROM MOTOGP RACE DIRECTION
On 25th October 2015 during the MotoGP race of the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, rider #46 Valentino Rossi deliberately ran wide on Turn 14 in order to force another rider off line, resulting in contact causing the other rider to crash.

This is considered to be irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors and is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.

Valentino Rossi was requested to attend a Race Direction hearing. Both riders involved were present at the hearing, both gave testimony, and video evidence was reviewed.

The decision of the Race Direction is to impose on rider #46 the addition of 3 penalty points on your record, according to Article 3.2.1. of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Disciplinary and Arbitration Code. Valentino Rossi lodged an appeal with the FIM Stewards against the decision of the Race Direction. He was requested to attend another hearing with the FIM Stewards.

The FIM Stewards unanimously confirmed the Penalty Imposed by the Race Direction.

According to Art. 3.4.2.2 of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations no further appeal may be lodged when FIM Stewards confirm the previous decision of the Race Direction.

Since the rider already had 1 previous penalty point, the sanction for accumulating 4 penalty points is to start the next race from the back of the grid.

Thus Valentino Rossi will start the Gran Premio MOTUL de la Communicat Valenciana from the last position of the grid.

Originally published as MotoGP: Valentino Rossi given penalty for Malaysian GP clash with Marc Marquez