MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi spoke at a press conference ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix on Thursday after being banned from the Czech Grand Prix for colliding with a steward during the Brno sprint. The Aprilia rider stated that the ban was the right decision, saying, “I fully understand the penalty. It was correct and I accept everything.”.
An apology to the commissioner, tears, and inner peace.
Bezzecchi hadn't given any details to the media after the sprint in Brno; he's now explained why: going to the commissioner to apologize before the penalty was announced might have seemed insincere. “I preferred to wait until the penalty was confirmed because I didn't want people to think I was apologizing to avoid the penalty. Once the decision was clear, I went and sincerely apologized. We both cried; it was a beautiful moment for me in a difficult time, and a large part of the weight on my shoulders was lifted,” he explained. The Italian rider also recalled hugging the commissioner before the warm-up laps, describing the incident as “a very bad move.”.
The first thing Marco Bezzecchi did today was to apologize personally to the marshal 🤝
A very emotional moment 🥹#CzechGP 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/QJfqAHTbJw
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 21, 2026
The Italian driver emphasized that the days following the incident have also been difficult. “I want to take this opportunity to apologize once again for my behavior in Brno. I felt, and still feel, very bad, not just for myself, but for my team, for the entire factory, for the championship which didn’t deserve such an image, and for the commissioner who was the biggest victim in this situation,” he said.
Impact on the championship standings and lessons learned.
The race ban has cost Bezzecchi dearly in the points standings. His teammate Jorge Martin is now just 8 points behind, while Marc Marquez has moved up to third place with a 40-point lead. Aprilia appealed the decision, but the FIM stewards rejected the appeal; the Italian brand has since decided not to pursue the matter further.
Bezzecchi said he wanted to turn the ban into an opportunity for personal development. “I want to use this moment as a lesson; but actually, the lesson came the moment I learned of the decision. So I think it was the right decision. It wasn’t easy to accept; we are drivers and we want to race. But in the end, that’s what happened. I hope this experience will really help me in every aspect, including driving,” he said.