RNF Aprilia has asked the MotoGP stewards to impose more severe penalties following the incident involving Marc Marquez and Miguel Oliveira.
Miguel Oliveira’s RNF team is demanding more severe penalties from the FIM stewards after Marc Marquez was involved in a crash during Sunday’s inaugural MotoGP round in Portugal.
Marquez and Oliveira will both miss this weekend’s Argentina MotoGP after suffering injuries sustained in a crash at the season’s opening Portimao race, which was caused by the Repsol Honda rider.
In the third-lap incident at the Portimao circuit, Marquez lost control of his Honda when braking into Turn 3, initially hitting Jorge Martin before colliding with local hero Oliveira.
The fact that Marquez will miss the Argentina MotoGP caused the stewards to reconsider their decision to impose a double long-lap penalty on him to be served at the Termas de Rio Hondo track.
The Spaniard will now have to serve the penalty in his next competition, which is most probably the American round in Austin, Texas, but Oliveira’s team is dissatisfied with that penalty.
RNF has made it clear that it is unhappy with what it considers to be a “light” penalty for Marquez and is requesting that the stewards impose harsher sanctions.
Their statement read: “CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team, following a recent incident of reckless and irresponsible racing displayed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) against Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team), is pushing for harsher and severe penalties from the FIM Stewards.
“MotoGP races, whether it be a Sprint or main race, are high-speed and high-intensity, where every rider wants to win at all costs.
“However, such aggressive behaviour can often lead to dire consequences, not only for the riders themselves but also for their fellow competitors.
“The incident at the recent race between Marc Marquez and Miguel Oliveira should serve as a wake-up call for riders in MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3.
“Thus, it is imperative that they are reminded of the severity of the punishment for any kind of reckless and irresponsible racing.
“CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team condemns such behaviour and strongly advocates for stricter penalties to deter future offenders including the team’s own riders.
“We urge the FIM Stewards to take quick and decisive action against such reckless riding, setting examples for the younger and upcoming riders in Moto3 and Moto2.
“We believe that safety is the top priority in any sport, and MotoGP must take necessary actions to ensure the safety of all its riders.
“We look forward to supporting the FIM Stewards in their ongoing efforts to develop a safer and more responsible racing environment.”
Marquez apologized to Oliveira and the RNF team on Sunday after accepting responsibility for the third-lap MotoGP incident.
