Why Marc Marquez wasn’t penalised for his pitlane entry in Jerez MotoGP sprint

Marc Marquez was found to have broken no rules by the FIM MotoGP stewards for crossing the track into pitlane on his way to victory in the Spanish Grand Prix sprint.

The reigning world champion claimed a sensational victory on Saturday in the first-ever flag-to-flag sprint, after crashing out of second place with six laps remaining at Turn 13.

Marc Marquez remounted his crashed Ducati and cut across the circuit after the field had cleared to enter pitlane to swap to his wet bike.

He was one of four riders to do so at this stage, with Marquez ultimately going on to win the sprint by over three seconds over team-mate Pecco Bagnaia, and fellow early stopper Franco Morbidelli.

Marquez’s entry to pitlane caused a stir on social media, with many believing he should have been penalised.

While there was no investigation flagged on the live feed, The Race reported that the FIM stewards did investigate it briefly, but no further action was warranted.

A spokesperson from the FIM has since provided clarity to Crash.net on why Marquez was not punished.

Why Marquez did not break any rules

Race direction information released prior to the Spanish Grand Prix, pictured below, details how riders must enter and exit pitlane.

As detailed, the only line on the entry to pitlane that cannot be cut is the one on the inside. The outside white line must not be cut only on pit-exit.

Under current rules, any area painted green denotes a part of a circuit that cannot be touched without receiving some kind of sanction. Marquez did not touch this when he entered pitlane.

As far as entering the pitlane is concerned, the only other regulation governing this is the 60km/h limit that riders must adhere to at the timing loop as they cross into pit area.

Marquez also adhered to this.

The Ducati rider didn’t break any rules over rejoining after a crash, either.

He received no instructions from the marshals and was therefore not deemed to have disobeyed any orders.

While some have argued that Marquez did gain an advantage by crossing the grass to get into pitlane, he was the fourth rider to have entered to swap bikes.

Marquez also didn’t endanger any riders, having let the pack behind him clear before he cross the circuit.