Marini Backs Bezzecchi Ban: Violence Has No Place in MotoGP

Luca Marini has publicly supported the decision to suspend Marco Bezzecchi from the Czech Grand Prix, despite the pair being among the closest friends in the MotoGP paddock.

Marini and Bezzecchi spent years together in the VR46 Rider Academy and were former Moto2 teammates. However, their long-standing friendship did not prevent Marini from agreeing with the sanction imposed following Bezzecchi's altercation with a marshal at Brno.

The Honda HRC Castrol rider acknowledged that emotions run high after crashes but stressed that such circumstances cannot justify physical actions toward track officials.

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"Well, I agree. It's true that in that moment we have a lot of adrenaline as riders. I think he understood his mistake. He explained, he apologised and everybody agrees on his behaviour today."

"We need to always be against violence. Even if it is nothing crazy, it is still behaviour that is not acceptable in any sport."

Marini also believes the severity of the punishment reflects the unprecedented nature of the incident. While disagreements with marshals have occurred in the past, he noted that MotoGP had never faced a similar situation involving physical contact.

"The penalty is big because it never happened before. Sometimes in the past we had some pushing or shouting at marshals, but nothing like this. So I can understand the stewards taking this decision."

According to Marini, the fact that Bezzecchi currently leads the world championship has amplified the attention surrounding the case.

"It's making everything louder because Bez is the championship leader. If he was the last rider on the grid, maybe everything would pass more calmly. But I think everybody can understand the stewards and Bez as well. He understood his mistake."

The Italian also argued that the punishment sends an important message to younger riders throughout the paddock, particularly those competing in Moto3.

"I think every rider here saw the penalty and said, 'Okay, understood.' It's correct because we have seen how stricter penalties for slowing on the racing line or causing crashes improved the behaviour of younger riders."

While Marini acknowledged that MotoGP can still improve the consistency and predictability of some stewarding decisions, he praised the progress made in recent years. In his view, the Bezzecchi case reinforces a clear principle for the championship: there can be no tolerance for violence, regardless of the circumstances.