Franco Morbidelli penalised for impeding during German MotoGP practice

Franco Morbidelli has received another grid penalty after an impeding incident during MotoGP practice at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.

The VR46 Ducati rider was judged to have slowed another rider during a fast lap. MotoGP stewards investigated the incident and decided that Morbidelli had broken the rules. As a result, he was given a three-place grid penalty for the German Grand Prix.

This is the second time in only a few weeks that Morbidelli has been punished for impeding another rider. He was also given a three-place grid penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen after getting in the way of Enea Bastianini during practice. That incident happened when Morbidelli was riding slowly on the racing line, forcing Bastianini to leave the track and abandon his fast lap.

After the latest penalty, Morbidelli said he was not riding slowly on purpose. He explained that he was pushing as hard as he could at the time, but admitted that his pace was not as fast as the rider coming up behind him.

Impeding is taken very seriously in MotoGP because it can ruin another rider's qualifying lap and may also create a dangerous situation. Riders are expected to move away from the racing line when they are not on a fast lap.

The penalty is another setback for Morbidelli as he looks to fight for strong results during the 2026 MotoGP season. Starting three places lower on the grid will make his race more difficult, especially at the Sachsenring, where overtaking opportunities are limited compared with many other circuits.