Race Direction explain Rossi's Sepang clash penalty
The Italian will start the final 2015 MotoGP race from the back of the grid
MOTOGP race director Mike Webb has explained race direction’s decision to penalise Valentino Rossi after his clash and Marc Marquez and the subsequent crash at the Malaysian grand prix.
After the incident, MotoGP's race director explained why they have come to the decision to make Rossi start from the back of the grid for the final race and give him three penalty points.
'The decision is that race direction has imposed three penalty points on Valentino Rossi for irresponsible riding, that is, deliberately causing contact,' said Webb.
'Deliberately running wide in a corner in order to try and force another rider off line. The result was a crash so it’s irresponsible riding and for that we have imposed three penalty points on Rossi.
'It looked like we were going to have a great race, but unfortunately it ended in an incident that’s controversial. I have to say that the Movistar Yamaha team have appealed against race direction’s decision, so now that appeal will be heard by FIM stewards.'
Speaking about how the decision was made, Webb explained: 'We listened to both riders; our opinion was that there was some fault on both sides, but as far as the rulebook goes Marquez did not make any contact, did not break any rules as such, but we feel that his behaviour was causing problems to Rossi who reacted. Unfortunately he reacted in a way that is against the rules.'
Movistar Yamaha's appeal has since been rejected. The 2015 championship title is now almost impossible for Rossi to claim unless his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo crashes out of contention at Valencia.
