Johann Zarco has been handed a grid penalty for the next round of the MotoGP season in the wake of a collision with Miguel Oliveira at the British Grand Prix.
KTM factory rider Zarco was chasing Tech 3 rookie Oliveira for 12th place at Silverstone when he attempted a pass through the left-hander at The Loop.
But as Zarco went for the inside the front of his bike tucked under and he slid into Oliveira, eliminating the Portuguese racer from contention.
Stewards deemed Zarco fully culpable for “riding in an irresponsible manner” and he will drop three places on the grid from wherever he qualifies at the next event at Misano.
Zarco has endured a troublesome 2019 campaign upon his move to KTM machinery and holds only 18th in the championship.
KTM confirmed after the previous round in Austria that it had agreed with Zarco to end their partnership after 2019 and not fulfil the second year of the contract.
It has yet to confirm a replacement, while Zarco has not outlined his plans for 2020.
The collision marked Oliveira’s first failure to finish a MotoGP race, having stepped up to the premier class with Tech 3 off the back of the runner-up spot in Moto2 last season.
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