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MotoGP championship leader hit with a one-race ban after slapping a track worker in the face following crash
By Matt Reigle
Published June 20, 2026
A shocking moment between a MotoGP rider and a track marshal has led to a one-race ban, and it was all caught on camera.
Even wilder, this moment could have huge championship implications.
Marco Bezzechi is a rider for the Aprilia Racing factory team, which currently leads the teams' championship, while Aprilia is also leading the constructors' championship. On top of that, going into this weekend's Czech Grand Prix, Bezzechi led his teammate Jorge Martin in the riders' standings.
Aprilia Racing MotoGP rider Marco Bezzechi has been suspended for one race after a shocking physical altercation with a track marshal. (David Sarmiento/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
However, his weekend — and potentially the riders' championship — took a wild turn after a crash in the weekend's sprint race.
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Well, it wasn't just the crash that tanked his weekend; it was what he did after the crash.
The incident occurred when Bezzechi seemed to simply lose traction in a corner, and he and his bike skidded into the gravel trap.
If you've ever watched MotoGP, this happens all the time, but what doesn't happen is a rider getting into a marshal while trying to recover his bike.
But that's what happened this time.
Yeah... you can't be doing that.
The Italian rider appeared to slap the marshal twice as they attempted to recover the bike from the gravel trap.
The sprint race was only 10 laps, and the crash happened on lap eight. Even if Bezzechi had gotten back on the circuit, he'd be so far out of scoring position, unless it turned into the ultimate race of attrition in the final couple of laps.
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Well, snapping like that certainly didn't paint Bezzechi in a positive light. You've got to respect the track marshals because without them doing their jobs, you can't race. It's that simple.
Marco Bezzechi's one-race suspension could allow his teammate Jorge Martin to take a big chunk out of his championship lead. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)
But it got worse for Bezzechi. He was called to the stewards and slapped with a one-race ban that rules him out of Sunday's Grand Prix.
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And as if it couldn't get worse, Bezzechi was slated to start in P5, while Martin was going to start from P10, giving him a good opportunity to add to his championship lead.
Now, Martin — who scored five points in the sprint race — has a chance to catch Bezzechi, who leads him in the standings by just 15 points.
https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/motogp-championship-leader-hit-one-race-ban-slapping-track-worker-face-crashing