MotoGP: Stewards were not very attentive to the Marc Marquez case in Thailand

Marc Marquez, the talented eight-time world champion, had a near-disaster at the recent Thailand Grand Prix. In the midst of a fight for victory against Pecco Bagnaia, he crashed at Turn 8 despite a desperate attempt to keep his Ducati GP23 on its wheels. The incident, however, was not just a simple fall. On his way up, Marquez encountered an unexpected problem: his leather suit was partially open, a problem that could have cost him dearly had it been caught by the stewards…

The airbag in his suit did indeed deploy, but once deflated, the zipper opened from the top, leaving the suit loose, just below the Gresini logo. The suit opened, I think during the fall, when the airbag activated. There was a lot of pressure on the shoulders, " he explained. This crucial detail, which he was unable to correct during the race, raises questions about safety and equipment compliance.

This incident echoes the experience of Fabio Quartararo when 2021 Catalan Grand Prix, where his suit completely opened. Quartararo was then given a three-second penalty. for breaching FIM safety regulations. These regulations require all riders to wear full and properly secured equipment at all times while on the track. Marquez, although not having experienced a complete opening of his suit, still violated this rule, his zipper remaining poorly adjusted until the end of the race.

The FIM stewards have not issued any official communication on this subject Marc Marquez

The precedent of George Martin when Indian Grand Prix, where his zipper also came open but was quickly fixed, raises questions about the rigor applied by the commissioners. Unlike Martin, Marquez left his problem unresolved, which could have compromised his safety in the event of another fall.

surprisingly, FIM stewards have not issued any official communication on this subject. In their report, no mention is made of any sanctions, leaving one perplexed as to the consistency of the decisions taken in the face of similar situations. However, the version current in the paddock is that in this case Marc Marquez, His suit opened due to a fall that compromised the part where it closes.The Catalan therefore could not do anything to resolve it and this context would have been taken into account so as not to penalize him.

So what does safety really mean in MotoGP? Marc Marquez escaped a penalty, but the message is clear: safety equipment must be impeccable, especially when it comes to top-level performance. The question remains: could this impunity encourage other drivers to neglect safety and focus solely on racing? One thing is certain, the debates around safety and regulations as in the case Marc Marquez will continue to rage in the world of MotoGP.