Overview
- FIM technical staff and Honda discovered irregular seal wiring on engine #810 after routine checks and later found the same tampering on engine #811 following Mugello.
- The stewards applied Art. 2.6.3.3.13(c) to treat both units as rebuilt engines and used Art. 3.3.2.2 to justify disqualifying Fernandez from the six races where those engines were used.
- One engine, #811, was judged unsafe after reassembly and has been withdrawn from Fernandez’s allocation on safety grounds, leaving him with only two usable engines for the rest of the season.
- Leopard Racing lodged appeals that were rejected by the FIM MotoGP stewards at a Friday hearing and the team has said it will pursue further legal options, including a possible appeal to the International Court of Appeal.
- The ruling strips 77 points from Fernandez, drops him near the lower end of the standings, and raises reputational and practical questions because the regulations place final responsibility for a presented machine’s compliance on the team.