Johann Zarco has been issued a double long‑lap penalty that will apply to his next MotoGP start, a sanction stemming from the crash at the May Catalan Grand Prix. The penalty was confirmed by stewards at the opening of the German Grand Prix weekend, roughly two months after the incident.
During the restart in Barcelona, Zarco collided with Luca Marini and Pecco Bagnaia, becoming tangled in Bagnaia’s Ducati as it slid into the gravel. The impact caused multiple injuries, most notably swelling around his left knee that initially raised fears of ligament damage and a possible season‑ending surgery. Doctors later reported the knee injury was less severe than first feared, though a full assessment awaited the reduction of swelling.
The sanction arrives just as Zarco’s recovery timeline points to a return at the Misano/Red Bull Ring double‑header in mid‑September. In the meantime, former World Superbike champion Cal Crutchlow has stepped in as his temporary replacement for the German GP.
