Marquez: Bastianini should have been penalised for last-lap Martin pass

Marquez has weighed in on the controversy generated following Bastianini’s victorious move on Martin in Misano

MotoGP star Marc Marquez believes Enea Bastianini deserved to get a penalty for running wide after overtaking Jorge Martin on the final lap of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Martin and Bastianini were engaged in a tense duel for victory in the second Misano race on Sunday, with the Pramac rider doing just enough to stay in front.

But on the final lap, Bastianini sent his factory Ducati up the inside of Martin into the slow Turn 4 right-hander, forcing his Pramac rival off the track and on the tarmac run-off as they made contact.

The Italian himself ran over the white line at the exit of the corner as he struggled to stop the bike, while looking over his shoulders towards Martin.

Marquez said he didn’t agree with the stewards ruling to not punish Bastianini, as he feels the latter should have been asked to hand back the position to Martin for not making the corner.

“I saw a replay; for me if Enea was out of the track too, it's drop one position [as a penalty],” said the Gresini Ducati rider, who finished third. 

“Because if you do an aggressive overtake, you are inside the track it's no problem. But if you go out of the track, that means 'drop one position'.

“I do not agree with that decision [not to investigate the clash].”

Speaking later in the press conference, Marquez clarified that he didn’t find anything wrong with the overtake itself, as he felt Bastianini’s attempt at snatching the lead was clean.

However, he explained that the pass should only have been deemed legitimate if Bastianini had stayed on track and not run off it.

The six-time champion, known for his block passes that have generated plenty of debate over the years, said: “I agree with the overtake, it's the only way to overtake with these bikes.

“When he did that overtake, everything was good. It's just he was jumping out of the corner. So there is where the question mark arrives [about the rules].

“If he doesn’t stay on the track, maybe it's time to drop one position. But if he does the same overtake but stays on the kerbs, then it's okay for me, because it's the only way to overtake with those bikes and the overtake was clean.

“It was aggressive, was in the limit, but was a last-lap overtake.

“Even Enea this year overtook me in Assen and I went out of the track and I didn't say anything because it was clean and he stayed on the track.

“For me it was okay and it's part of racing. But the one that makes the overtake needs to be inside all the time. This is my point of view.”