Is this the end for Romano Fenati?
Italian rider sacked by team for "dangerous and damaging conduct"
Moto2 rider Romano Fenati has been dropped by his team after pulling a rival's brake lever while at high speed during a race yesterday.
Sunday's race, part of the San Marino MotoGP at Misano, saw Stefano Manzi briefly lose balance at 135mph after Fenati pulled alongside him and squeezed his front brake lever during the 23rd lap of the race. Manzi had attempted to overtake the Italian rider a few laps earlier, but misjudgement led him to come into contact with Fenati, sending both riders off-track. Fenati claimed his action was to teach Manzi a lesson.
Fenati was immediately disqualified for "irresponsible riding". And, following a review of the incident, was suspended from the next two Grand Prix races. Manzi received a six-place grid penalty for his earlier clash with Fenati.
Fenati's ban has sparked an outrage on social media with members of the public deeming it insufficient. In an interview following the race, British rider, Cal Crutchlow expressed his disdain for the rider, saying "he should never race a motorcycle again".
"He should have walked back to the garage and his team should have just kicked him straight out the back."
“You can’t do this to another motorcycle racer. We are risking our lives enough and if somebody grabs your brake – sure maybe there was contact before, but there is contact all the time. This is racing. To grab the brake lever on the straight - he deserves to be kicked straight out.”
Marc Marquez agreed the penalty needed to be strict enough to deter other riders from behaving the same.
Meanwhile, the public is sharing and signing a petition for Fenati to receive a lifelong ban from motorcycle racing. It claims the two-race ban "falls well short of the mark", and gives the message to riders that they can act recklessly without consequences.
"Clearly, he doesn't know how to deal with anger while on track, and for the sake of safety, he should never be allowed to take part in a world championship race again.”
This isn't the first time that the 22-year old has behaved this way. In 2015, during a Moto3 warm-up, he kicked Niklas Ajo and switched off his bike. In 2016, the Sky Racing Team VR46, owned by Valentino Rossi, dropped Fenati for "behaviour not in line with the disciplinary rules of the team".
In an official statement released this morning, Marinelli Snipers has now ended its contract with Fenati. The team condemns Fenati for his "dangerous and damaging conduct", saying he "endangered the life of another rider".
Following yesterday's race, Fenati said his fellow rider was as much to blame for the incident as he was, and that he pulled the brake lever to teach him a lesson for acting irresponsibly earlier on. Today, Fenati has released an official statement apologising for his "disgraceful gesture", stating "I wish it had been just a bad dream... I was not a man".
Fenati is currently set to switch to Manzi's team, Forward Racing, for the next season, as it begins its MV Agusta partnership in Moto2. But, with MV Agusta's president Giovanni Castiglioni now promising on social media to prevent him from riding for the team, Fenati's future is looking uncertain.
Comments
11/09/18 - If you can't beat someone by better riding skills and have to stoop this low then it's time to go!
11/09/18 - There are so many options for riders hard to see him getting another look after this
10/09/18 - Good, and does he really think that any other team will touch him with a bargepole? Unsportsmanly and could have been very dangerous.
10/09/18 - And about time to! any team associated with that sort of behaviour does not deserve sponsership!!
10/09/18 - Hes been doing for a long time .well overdue get rid of the muppet
10/09/18 - Life time ban simples
10/09/18 - And MV has launched him,arrogant brat.
10/09/18 - Give the poor guy a break

10/09/18 - You mean a brake?

10/09/18 - Yeah, which arm or leg.

11/09/18 - More like f*cking neck the rsole
10/09/18 - Crazy stunt ....
10/09/18 - Unsportsmanlike and down right dangerous. Thiis behavior should not be tolerated at any level. Banning him from racing is the only option.
10/09/18 - He should have his racing licence taken away indefinitely
10/09/18 - I'm sure he'll find more appropriate employment stacking shelves in Asda.

10/09/18 - Or F1....like Schumacher 
ES
EN