During the 24-lap Catalan Grand Prix on Sunday, the Ducati rider, Bastianini, was racing with Alex Marquez from Gresini towards the back of the top 10 when he was forced off the track at Turn 1.
Normally, if riders go off the track at Turns 1-2, they must prove they lost at least a second in lap time to avoid punishment. However, Bastianini did not follow this rule.
The stewards gave Bastianini a penalty for not following this rule. Bastianini thought Marquez would have to give back the position he gained, but instead, he received a penalty. He did not agree with this and chose not to follow the penalty.
Then, he got another penalty for ignoring the first one. Still, he did not follow this one either. Eventually, he was given a time penalty of 32 seconds for not obeying the order.
As a result of these penalties, Bastianini went from ninth place to 18th. He said the stewards admitted they made a mistake in their first decision, but they could not change it afterward.
When asked why he ignored the initial penalty, Bastianini said, “The dashboard was too clear. I didn’t agree with the dashboard. I overtook Alex on the straight, and when we got to the brakes [at Turn 1], he braked later than me, which pushed me onto the kerbs. It was impossible for me to stay on the brakes, so I had to cut the chicane. I could have come back, but where? On the kerb of Turn 2? No, impossible.”
He also mentioned that he lost time because he followed the line of the long lap meant to escape Turn 2. He waited for Marquez to drop the position as per the penalty, but then he received a penalty himself. Although he knew it was not the right choice, he felt compelled to do something because nothing had changed despite his explanations to the stewards in previous races.
Bastianini’s race analysis showed he did not lose a second during the incident. After the race, he reviewed the situation with his team and the videos. He claimed that the stewards initially thought the penalty was correct but later realized it was wrong. He tried to reclaim his ninth position, but the race direction could not do anything about it.
He also pointed out that his Ducati team supported his decision to ignore the penalties.
