Photo: motogp.com
CODACONS is an Italian organization working in environmental protection, users' and consumers' rights, and it has filed a complaint against Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo, invoking Article 3.1 (and reportedly more) in the FIM Regulament.
CODACONS, which stands for Coordinamento delle Associazioni per la Difesa dell'Ambiente e dei Diritti degli Utenti e dei Consumatori, also addressed the complaint to the management of the Sepang circuit.
The motivation for the action was indicated as the unsportsmanlike conduct of both Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo during the Sepang round in MotoGP. CODACONS believes that there is evidence that shows Marquez letting Lorenzo pass without too much opposition, complemented by unnaturally aggressive behavior towards Valentino Rossi.
The organization also mentions that this indicated an agreement between two riders, a fact that violates the FIM regulations and which, according to Article 3.2.1, is punishable with exclusion from the championship or the racing scene.
It is yet unclear what power the CODACONS has over the MotoGP, but the complaint is yet another proof that the Sepang incident and what followed have raised interest in more than the racing scene.
On the other hand, Rossi's fans gathered around half a million signatures for a petition that urges Race Direction to revise the penalty for Rossi, but to what result will this action lead is still uncertain.
Andrea Iannone subtly expressed his support for his fellow countryman, after he changed his Facebook page profile picture with one in which he appears with Rossi on the podium at Mugello.
Finally, one of the latest things on Internet is a supposition or even call to action that urges the MotoGP riders to let Rossi pass without putting up a fight, thus helping reduce as much as possible from his handicap at Valencia in case Race Direction does not revise his penalty.
Not sure how legal such a move is, though, and it might attract penalties for the racers themselves. As time passes and the Valencia round approaches, we suspect that the atmosphere in Moto GP will be even hotter, so it's worth to stay tuned.
The motivation for the action was indicated as the unsportsmanlike conduct of both Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo during the Sepang round in MotoGP. CODACONS believes that there is evidence that shows Marquez letting Lorenzo pass without too much opposition, complemented by unnaturally aggressive behavior towards Valentino Rossi.
The organization also mentions that this indicated an agreement between two riders, a fact that violates the FIM regulations and which, according to Article 3.2.1, is punishable with exclusion from the championship or the racing scene.
It is yet unclear what power the CODACONS has over the MotoGP, but the complaint is yet another proof that the Sepang incident and what followed have raised interest in more than the racing scene.
Politics step in
To some, the whole affair looks like a nationality-segregated issue, technically Spain versus Italy. But there is politics involved in this, too, as Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy expressed his support for Marquez. His position attracted both favorable and opposing reactions, from both Italians and Spaniards.On the other hand, Rossi's fans gathered around half a million signatures for a petition that urges Race Direction to revise the penalty for Rossi, but to what result will this action lead is still uncertain.
Andrea Iannone subtly expressed his support for his fellow countryman, after he changed his Facebook page profile picture with one in which he appears with Rossi on the podium at Mugello.
Finally, one of the latest things on Internet is a supposition or even call to action that urges the MotoGP riders to let Rossi pass without putting up a fight, thus helping reduce as much as possible from his handicap at Valencia in case Race Direction does not revise his penalty.
Not sure how legal such a move is, though, and it might attract penalties for the racers themselves. As time passes and the Valencia round approaches, we suspect that the atmosphere in Moto GP will be even hotter, so it's worth to stay tuned.
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