Marc Marquez escaped a penalty at the Thailand Moto🍸GP despite his leathers becoming ꦍunzipped.

“The suit opened I think in the crash when the airbag deployed,” Mᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚarquez explained after he remounted from an ꧃early fall to finish 11th.

Onboard footage showed that the safety clasp, ꩵat the top o🐟f his leathers, popped open after he rejoined the race.

Butꦛ FIM stewards opted not to punish Marquez despite the rules stating that safety equipment must be correctly worn at all tiꦯmes.

mahbx.com have exclusively been told by a Dorna spokesperson that discretion can be applied with issues of this type, because they can include variablℱes.

For instance, if it was deemed that Marquez d🌃id not have enough time to react, then ♛the stewards are within their rights not to punish him.

So, because Marquez crashed then remounted, causing damage to the safety clasp on his leathers, it seem♌s the stewards applied discretion with their decision not to punish him.

On Thursday ahead of the Malaysian GP, the stewards issued a re𒉰vised report from last Sunday's Thai GP, further explaining the Marquez incident. 

It backs up Dorna's explanation that Marquez did not have time t🔯o react, as the message he was given by the stewards wasn't until the final lap. 

The stewards panel statement reads: “We were made aware of the gear malfunction with two laps to go. Our protocol then is to verify the issue with the riders gear through💜 video images, which we did. 

"Once confirmed through those images wཧe immediatꦿely sent an “equipment warning” message to the riders dashboard display, which by this time was late during the last lap. 

"That message was received 17 seconds before he💎 crossed the finish line. At this the rider crossed the finish line and the message is replaced with the chequered flag on the display.”

What do the rules say?

Article 2.4.5.2 of the FIM MotoGP rulebook, under the Rider’s Safetꦿy Equipment subheading, is as f🧸ollows:

“It is compulsory that each contracted rider must begin each race event with at ♑least two complete sets of undamaged safety equipment.

“A complete set of s💫afety equipment shall contain:

• Helmet
• Leather Suit, 1-piece
• Gloves
• Boots
• Back Protector
• Chest Protector

“The equipment must be worn, correctly fastened, at all times during on-track activity. In certain cases (for example the Airbag system) the equipment must be present and functional at l🍃east at the start of each track session. The decisi⛄on of the Technical Director is final in matters of rider equipment.”

Has anyone else been punished?

Fabio Quartararo was hit with a🌳 three-second time penalty at the 2021 Catalan GP when his leathers unzipped, and he ♎discarded his chest protector.

This contravened Article 2.4.5.2. 

Quartararo later admi𓃲tted the penalty was w✃arranted.

Last year in India, Jorge Martin's leathers𝓀 became briefly unzipped.

Martin was able to zip them back up, and was n꧅🐻ot penalised.