Marco Bezzecchi issues apology after striking marshal and Czech GP ban

MotoGP points leader Marco Bezzecchi issued an apology after being banned from the Czech Grand Prix for striking a marshal, following an altercation captured during Saturday’s sprint. The 27-year-old crashed on the penultimate lap and ran toward his factory Aprilia while trackside marshals recovered the bike. Footage showed a marshal revving the engine—likely accidentally—before Bezzecchi pushed and struck the worker during a heated quarrel. After stewards summoned him for a hearing, he was banned from Sunday’s race at Brno for unsportsmanlike behaviour, and Aprilia’s appeal lodged Saturday night was rejected. In his Sunday statement, Bezzecchi said there is no justification for his actions and apologized to the entire MotoGP community, Aprilia Racing, and fans. Without him, Aprilia will contest with only Jorge Martin, and Bezzecchi’s 15-point advantage over Martin could shrink.