Deniz Oncu has been suspended from the next two Moto3 races for causing a horror crash at the Grand Prix of the Americas.
Oncu moved across on Jeremy Alcoba down the Circuit of The Americas’ back straight and took out the Gresini rider’s front wheel, setting off mayhem.
Andrea Migno and championship leader Pedro Acosta both hit the #52 Honda, the latter getting airborne for several metres before he tumbled into the fence on riders’ left.
Thankfully, all three were able to walk away from the incident, which triggered the second red flag of the race.
Oncu, who had been battling with Alcoba for fifth, was deemed to have committed “irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors” and will be sat out of the upcoming rounds at Misano and Portimao.
“On 03 October 2021 at 11:46 during the Moto3 Race Part 2 of the RED BULL GRAND PRIX OF THE AMERICAS you were found to have caused a crash by swerving into the line of another rider on the straight portion of the track between T11 and T12,” read the official Notification of Sanction, in part.
“This contravenes the specific instructions given to all team/competitors by email, and it is considered irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors.
“It is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.”
The ‘Sanction’ section read, “For the above reasons and the deliberate actions causing this serious incident, the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel has imposed a Suspension from participating in the 2021 EMILIA-ROMAGNA (Misano #2) Grand Prix and the 2021 ALAGARVE [sic] (Portimao #2) Grand Prix. (in accordance with articles 3.2.1 and 3.3.2.3).”
Oncu’s Red Bull KTM Tech3 team has not appealed the decision.
The Turk is, however, still classified fifth in the race in which he committed the breach, after results were backdated to Lap 7 of the portion which was conducted prior to the first red flag.
Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini) and Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) similarly have results of sixth and eighth, respectively, against their names, meaning the latter leads the championship by 30 points with three races left this season.
Solunion GasGas Aspar’s Izan Guevara, who thought he had retired from the race during its second portion due to a technical issue, is officially the winner from Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta).
It was McPhee who had been at the head of the field on Lap 3 of 5 in ‘Race 2’, although that counted for naught in the end.
The earlier red flag had been caused when Filip Salac highsided at Turn 11.
The PruestelGP rider, who was conscious but had to be stretchered away, has been declared unfit following further examination in hospital, according to MotoGP.
Salac had been taken to the Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin for a CT scan on his thorax and abdomen.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix takes place on October 22-24.
