MotoGP: Marquez, Miller, Quartararo and Bastianini hit with penalties for maiden Balaton race

Multiple riders will start today’s Grand Prix of Hungary with a grid drop or Long Lap penalty, including Alex Marquez, Jack Miller, Enea Bastianini and Fabio Quartararo.

Jack Miller and Alex Marquez have both been handed three-place grid penalties for Sunday’s Hungarian MotoGP at Balaton Park.

The pair were judged to have been riding slowly online and disturbing other riders during the crucial final stages of Friday afternoon practice. The incident happened in the dying stages of Practice, and the pair was found to impede Francesco Bagnaia.

The 13-lap Balaton MotoGP Sprint has left the FIM stewards with two incidents to investigate.

Starting form sixth on the grid in the Sprint, Fabio Quartararo took a great start, and attempted an ambitious lunge up the inside of several riders into Turn 1.

However, the 2021 MotoGP champion got out of shape and clattered into the rear of Enea Bastianini’s Tech3 KTM. As a result of the incident, the Frenchman was taken out on the spot, but Bastianini was able to continue.

The Yamaha rider has been hit with a penalty for the incident, and he will have to serve a long lap penalty in the inaugural Balaton MotoGP round.

While Bastianini was able to continue after his first-lap tangle with Quartararo, his race only lasted seven corners longer as he collided with Johann Zarco at the entry of the chicane.

The Italian rider has been hit with a double Long Lap penalty by the FIM Stewards for “riding in an irresponsible manner” and “causing a crash” in the Turn 9 incident on the opening lap.