Once again Romano Fenati finds himself in a deep corner after his run-in with Stefano Manzi during the Misano Moto2 race.
The two were battling for 12th during the Misano Moto2 race when Manzi seemingly forced his way through Fenati for track position. They then went off-track as a result and dropped out of the points position but stayed together on the track.
Manzi crashed after few laps but replays showed Fenati going side-by-side Manzi. He then pressed Manzi’s brake lever throwing him off balance. He managed to regain control but crashed anyways later on.
Fenati was showed a black flag for ‘irresponsible’ riding and was handed a two-race ban by the FIM MotoGP stewards. Manzi was also given a six-place penalty for his move which enraged Fenati into such unforgiving actions.
A day after the drama, Marinelli Snipers Team terminated Fenati’s contract for the remainder of the 2018 season, while a few hours later his contract for the 2019 season was also canceled by MV Agusta Reparto Corse Forward Racing Team.
“Here we are. Now we can communicate that the Marinelli Snipers Team shall terminate the contract with the rider Romano Fenati, from now on, for his unsporting, dangerous and damaging conduct for the image of all,” read a statement from Marinelli. “With extreme regret, we have to note that his irresponsible act endangered the life of another rider and can’t be apologised for in any way.
“The rider, from this moment, will not participate in any more races with the Marinelli Snipers team. The team, Marinelli Cucine, Rivacold and all the other sponsors and the people that always supported him, apologised to all the World Championship fans.”
The statement from MV Agusta’s Giovanni Castiglioni read: “In all my years of watching sport, I have never seen behaviour as dangerous as this. A rider who can act like this can never represent the values of our company, and our brand.
“For this reason, we do not want him to be the rider with which MV Agusta makes its return to the world championship.” Team owner Giovanni Cuzari added: “After the disgraceful episode between Romano Fenati and Stefano Manzi, it is impossible for the team to maintain its planned collaboration with the rider from Ascoli for the 2019 season.
“Fenati’s behaviour is incompatible with the sporting values of the Forward Racing Team and of MV Agusta. For this reason, though we bitterly regret it, we are forced to cancel our project with Fenati.
“Our sport is already extremely dangerous, and any act which increases the risks involved for the riders is intolerable. We cannot accept behaviour of this type from one of our future riders.”
Meanwhile, Fenati himself released a statement apologising for his behaviour: “I apologise to the world of sport. This morning, with a lucid mind, I wish it had just been a bad dream.
I think about and think back to those moments, I made a disgraceful gesture, I was not a man!
“A man would have finished the race and then he would have gone to Race Direction to try and get some justice for the preceding incident. I shouldn’t have reacted to provocation. The criticisms are correct and I understand the animosity towards me.
“I want to apologise to everyone who believed in me and all those who felt hurt by my action. A horrible image of me and of the sport has come out. I’m not like that, people who know me well know that! In my career, I’ve always been a just rider.
“Last year I was one of the few who was not penalised, I have never put someone else’s life in jeopardy, on the contrary, I have always maintained that there are riders on the track who are dangeous because of their riding style.
“It’s true, unfortunately I have an impulsive character, but my intention was certainly not to hurt a rider like me rather I wanted to make him understand that what he was doing was dangerous and how I could also have done something similar to what he did to me!
“I do not want to justify myself, I know that my actions were not justifiable, I just want to apologise to everyone. Now I will have time to reflect and clear my head.” History is not Fenati’s side as the Italian has been embroiled in controversies.
He was dropped by his Moto3 team and also from Valentino Rossi’s academy for bad behaviour while he has had many alterations with other riders in the past which involves him kicking and switching off rival’s bike.