Marquez penalty decision set to be suspended until after COTA?

UPDATE: Marc Marquez to miss COTA MotoGP

That’s the opinion of Sky Sport Italia which states: “The double long lap penalty received in Portugal for the ramming of Oliveira and Martin will probably be suspended because it is unlikely that the appeals court will meet before next Friday to evaluate Honda's appeal.”

Marquez and Repsol Honda accepted the original double long lap handed to the Spaniard for causing the accident, to be served at the next round in Argentina.

However, when it became clear that Marquez would not participate in the Argentine round due to hand injuries, the FIM Stewards changed the ‘application’ of the penalty from the Termas de Rio Hondo (Sunday) race to Marquez’s next event.

Repsol Honda protested that ‘modification’, with the case being passed to the MotoGP Court of Appeal.

The last time a case was heard by the MotoGP Court of Appeal was a protest over the legality of the Ducati ‘spoon/tyre cooler/swingarm spoiler' in 2019.

On that occasion it took almost three weeks for a verdict to be given and, assuming a similar timeline occurs, Marquez’s penalty situation is unlikely to be resolved before this weekend’s COTA round.

As such, suspension of the double long lap makes sense.

The alternative is that Marquez serves the penalty on Sunday, but might then be told by the MotoGP Court of Appeal that he didn't need to.

Marquez, Oliveira, Joan Mir and Enea Bastianini are all expected to return from injury this weekend, where the #93 will be seeking an eighth COTA victory.

Pol Espargaro, also injured in Portimao, will be replaced at GASGAS Tech3 by Jonas Folger.