Romano Fenati was given a two-race suspension for pulling Stefano Manzi’s brake lever during Sunday’s Moto2 in San Marino.
Riders reacted angrily to the incident in which Fenati clearly pulled on Manzi’s brake.
“I think he should never race a motorcycle again,” Britain’s Cal Crutchlow said. “He should have walked back in his garage and his team should have just kicked him straight out the back. You can’t do this to another motorcycle racer. We are risking our lives enough.
Speaking before the ban was handed down, KTM rider Pol Espargaro said whatever punishment was handed down would still not be enough.
“There is no (right) punishment, even a ban of one or two races,” he told crash.net.
“Someone who does that is not a professional rider and there is no place in racing for riders who are not professional.”
Former MotoGP rider Colin Edwards said Fenati “put somebody’s life in danger”.
“This is unbelievable. Are you kidding me? That’s where you tell him, ‘go pack your bag and we’ll see you next year’. That’s ridiculous,” Edwards said on BT Sport.
Fenati’s action came in retribution for Manzi’s failed attempt to overtake causing contact a few laps earlier, in turn 14, resulting in both losing positions, dropping out of the points.
“You were found to have deliberately attempted to cause danger to another rider by interfering with his machine whilst on track,” the statement from the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel read.
“This contravenes Article 1.21.2 of the FIM World Championship Grand Prix Regulations “Riders must ride in a responsible manner which does not cause danger to other competitors or participants, either on the track or in the pit lane. It is therefore an infringement of the FIM World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.
Ironically, Fenati had signed a contract to join Forward Racing - the team Manzi rides for - in 2019 when it begins an association with MV Agusta.
interfering in the controls of another racers bike, at full speed, in order to cause a crash, deliberately, premeditated, is to me.. not just something to ban him from the sport, but cause for attempted murder charges.
click though for more on Fenati's historical unsportsman petulant childish behavior on the track.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/watch-crazy-moment-moto2-rider-romano-fenati-grabs-brake-lever-of-stefano-manzi-during-race/news-story/665a7a9b2a4c44dc8d023fb930027593
This guy should be banned for life. What an incredibly foolish and dangerous thing to do.
ReplyDeleteWell, well, well - Fenati maty be a complete wanker, but it’s been no more than 3 years since Rossi kicked Marquez off his bike, and most of the sympathy (mine included) was for Rossi....
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbYo5gtyKbs
My admiration for some time has been with Rossi, but the Marquez Rossi history has nothing to do with Fenati, nor does that video you added seem to relate to this situation. Yes, it's another foul in bike racing... but it's not involving Fenati and Manzi, a racer getting banned for life, nor a racer using a hand to change the function of a lever or switch on another racers bike during a race.
DeleteI'd love to see your top 5 worst events during a race, but that's a seperate post.
Here I'd prefer your reaction to these two guys, and this one event
"May Be A Wanker"? Really?
DeleteWhat was he thinking? What an asshole!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Rossi's kicking of Marquez's bike was totally wrong (and most likely cost Rossi the world championship) but I'll accept that it happened when in a period of great stress and was not typical of his behaviour.
ReplyDeleteFenati however seems to have a lot of history.
Tony