MotoGP points leader Bezzecchi banned from Czech GP for hitting marshal in sprint

Marco Bezzecchi will not be allowed to start Sunday’s Czech Grand Prix after MotoGP stewards penalised him for ‘pushing and striking’ a marshal in the sprint race.

The championship leader was running in fifth place when he crashed at Turn 3 on the penultimate lap of the Brno sprint.

After ending up in the gravel, Bezzecchi ran towards his hobbled Aprilia RS-GP and was seen assaulting a marshal who was recovering his bike, with the footage of the incident going viral on social media. He later walked away from the scene, registering his fifth retirement of the season.

The factory Aprilia rider was summoned for a meeting by the stewards on Saturday evening for his unsportmanlike behaviour.

After hearing from the Italian, the stewards decided to suspend him from the rest of the weekend.

Aprilia has the right to appeal the penalty.

“On 20th June 2026, at 16:07:41 during the MotoGP™ Sprint of the MONSTER ENERGY GRAND PRIX OF CZECHIA, following a crash you pushed and struck circuit Marshals who were trying to recover your machine,” read a statement.

“This is an action prejudicial to the interests of the sport and is therefore an infringement as described in Article 3.3.2.2 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations, any corrupt or fraudulent act, or any action prejudicial to the interests of the meetings or of the sport, carried out by a person or a group of persons occurring during an event”

“For the above reasons the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel has imposed upon you a suspension from the MONSTER ENERGY GRAND PRIX OF CZECHIA. (in accordance with articles 3.2.1 and 3.3.2.3 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations).”

The ban comes as a major blow to Bezzecchi, whose championship lead over team-mate Jorge Martin had already been slashed to 15 points following a difficult half-distance race on Saturday.

The exclusion also hands a big opportunity to Aprilia's chief rival Ducati, which won the sprint race with factory rider Francesco Bagnaia. 

VR6's Fabio di Giannantonio sits 36 points adrift of Bezzecchi in third place, with Marc Marquez closing within 65 points on the best of the factory Ducatis.