MotoGP: Dutch TT to Rossi and Yamaha

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On Friday 24 June, during the MotoGP qualifying practice, Italian rider number 3 Massimiliano Biaggi rode in an irresponsible manner, causing danger to other riders, which is an infraction to article 1.21.2 of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations. For this infraction, the Race Direction has decided to penalize the rider with a fine of USD$5000.

During the same session, Massimiliano Biaggi made start practice on the track before the chequered flag (infraction to Art. 1.21.17). For this, the Race Direction has decided to inflict upon the rider a fine of USD 1000.

After the practice session, Mr Valerio Biaggi, holder of the pass nr I-1485, grabbed the rider nr 33 Marco Melandri by the throat, resulting in scratches. According to Art. 3.3.1.2 (action prejudicial to the interests of the sport), the Race Direction has decided to withdraw the permanent pass of Mr Valerio Biaggi for the rest of the year.

Video of the incident can be seen here.

It’s quite possible that Honda will not wish to continue supporting Biaggi in light of his fading form and the bad publicity his now regular and highly disrespectful antics will reflect on the company’s brand name. The incredibly bad publicity of the team’s Formula 1 suspension for what ammounts to little less than cheating will take a long time to live down, so there's no point in having bad publicity across both major forms of the company's sporting activities. Biaggi’s antics were simply unnecessary and served no good reason.

Interestingly, Biaggi is not on Valentino Rossi’s Christmas card list for similar bad blood incidents and had previously incurred the wrath of the last “immortal” in the sport- Michael Doohan.

Biaggi appears to have declared war on the most likely “next big thing’ in MotoGP in the form of Melandri and at the same time marginalised yet another large section of the sport’s fan base. While his talent will no doubt see him offered rides in 2006, he may well have knocked a zero off his annual earning potential.

So the main happenings of the 75th anniversary Gauloises Dutch TT of 2005 were Rossi’s performances, Melandri’s rise to main challenger for the title, and the performance of Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards. Edwards followed his team-mate through the opening few laps to make up some important positions from sixth on the grid, quickly settling into the excellent race pace he had found during practice and finally getting the opportunity to impose it on the front group. One lap after seeing Rossi take the lead, Edwards passed Sete Gibernau (Honda) for third place and did everything he could to catch Melandri for second, before deciding to settle for a podium finish.

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