Moto3 rider Deniz Oncu will be forced to miss the next two races at Misano and Portimao respectively for his part in the crash that stopped the Americas Grand Prix.
Oncu instigated a multi-rider crash on lap three of the restarted Moto3 contest at the Circuit of the Americas after sweeping across Jeremy Alcoba’s front wheel halfway down the 1.2 kilometre back straight, causing the Gresini rider to go down at roughly 140 miles per hour in front of the pack behind.
An unsighted Andrea Migno slammed into Alcoba’s machine and ramped over the top of it and into the air, while series leader Pedro Acosta also found himself with nowhere to go and hit Migno’s bike-the Ajo KTM racer even making contact with the barrier on the exit of the circuit.
Thankfully-and rather incredibly- all the riders involved walked away uninjured, though the race had to be red flagged one again, leading to the race being called from the standings prior to the original red flag-meaning victory went the way of GasGas man Izan Guevara despite retiring on lap two of the restarted race with mechanical dramas.
Race stewards began investigating Oncu’s part in the incident shortly after the race was scrapped, with the decision to ban the Turk from the Emilia Romagna and Algarve GP’s revealed on Sunday afternoon following the MotoGP contest-his Tech 3 team electing to not appeal the sanction.
Oncu’s stiff penalty comes just a week after the tragic death of World Supersport 300 rider Dean Berta Vinales-Aprilia MotoGP pilot Maverick’s cousin-at Jerez as a result of increasingly aggressive riding in the lower classes that have caused a greater frequency of incidents throughout 2021.
This twinned with the need for a slipstream with the underpowered smaller displacement machines played a part in the loss of Moto3 world championship pilot Jason Depasquier at Mugello in May as well ad 14 year-old Red Bull Rookies rider Hugo Millan in July.
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