Bezzecchi and Marini penalised after COTA Q2 incident

Championship leader Bezzecchi drops to the second row for Sunday's GP after being deemed to impede Marc Marquez during qualifying

The Red Bull Grand Prix of the United States’ grid has been reshaped after Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) were penalised for an incident during qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas.

Both riders were sanctioned by the FIM MotoGP Stewards for impeding Marc Marquez in Q2. The pair were judged to have been riding slowly on the racing line, disrupting Marquez’ flying lap.

As a result, each rider has been handed a two-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race. Championship leader Bezzecchi, who had originally qualified second, will now start from fourth on the grid, lining up alongside Marquez. Marini, meanwhile, drops from ninth to eleventh.

The penalties promote Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to second on the grid, while Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) moves onto the front row. Behind them, Bezzecchi will head the second row alongside Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Marquez.

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