In a dramatic turn at the Thailand MotoGP, Marc Marquez narrowly escaped penalty after his racing leathers became unzipped mid-race. Despite strict regulations mandating that safety gear be correctly worn, FIM stewards opted to apply discretion and spared Marquez a penalty.
The incident occurred after Marquez remounted from an early crash that saw his airbag deploy, which he believes caused his suit’s zipper to come undone. “The suit opened, I think, in the crash when the airbag deployed,” Marquez explained after finishing the race in 11th place. Onboard footage confirmed that the safety clasp was indeed open, but with Marquez back in the race, it went unnoticed by officials until the final laps.
According to Crash.net, the stewards can apply discretion in situations like these, particularly if they believe the rider had insufficient time to react. In Marquez’s case, the issue was flagged with two laps remaining, but the official warning only reached Marquez’s dashboard on the final lap—just 17 seconds before the race concluded, making immediate action impossible.
The stewards issued a revised report on Thursday before the Malaysian GP to clarify their stance, saying: “We verified the gear malfunction with video images and immediately sent an ‘equipment warning’ message. However, by this time, it was the last lap, and the message was replaced by the chequered flag on his dashboard.”
This decision underscores the complexities stewards face in split-second safety judgments, balancing strict adherence to rules with practical, real-time considerations. For Marquez, the incident adds another layer to an eventful race, as he now looks ahead to the Malaysian GP with safety and focus renewed.