FIM MotoGP™ Stewards have issued a Double Long Lap penalty to Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) as punishment for riding slowly on the race line in the closing minutes of FP3 for the MotoGP™ field at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia.
The Italian rider was found to have disturbed Franceso Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) when they came up on him at Turn 5 of the Sepang International Circuit, causing a near-miss among those three. The behaviour is considered irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors, and therefore a breach of FIM World Championship Grand Prix Regulations. Furthermore, as stewards noted, it is the third time that Morbidelli has committed such an act this season.
No appeal can be made which means the decision is final. Morbidelli is already through to Q2 – coincidentally, it was his final lap of FP3 which netted 10th and consigned Bagnaia to Q1 – and will now be relying on a strong Saturday afternoon in order to minimise the damage from two detours through the Long Lap.