Romano Fenati Misano Moto2 Video
Rivalry is one thing. We’ve witnessed it numerous times, mostly from off-track bantering.
But what Romano Fenati did during the Moto2 race at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli was far from rivalry; it was pure recklessness that could have caused serious injury.
After exiting turn 6, Fenati reached over and grabbed the front brake lever of Stefano Manzi’s bike. At the time, Manzi was wide open throttle at Misano and hitting around 140 mph.
Luckily Manzi didn’t crash – and luckily Race Direction observed the event at the San Marino Grand Prix. Officials black flagged Fenati and banned him from two races.
Due to the seriousness of the incident, the Marinelli Snipers Team immediately terminated Fenati’s contract.
“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,” a team statement read.
“With extreme regret, we have to note that his irresponsible act endangered the life of another rider and can’t be apologized 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, apologized to all the World Championship fans.”
Fenati was dropped by Sky Racing VR46 in Austria as a disciplinary action for disagreeing with Uccio Salucci.
Fenati, who was dropped by Valentino Rossi’s Sky Racing VR46 in Austria as a disciplinary action for disagreeing with Rossi’s “assistant” Uccio Salucci, was also slotted to represent MV Agusta in the Italian manufacturer’s return to GP racing after a 42-year hiatus.
But following Sunday’s incident at the San Marino Grand Prix, MV Agusta terminated the agreement.
Giovanni Cuzari, MV Agusta Moto2 team owner, also responded: “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 behavior 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 behavior of this type from one of our future riders.”
MV Agusta is expected to announce his replacement for 2019 Moto2 in the coming weeks.
This morning, Fenati apologized, saying: “I apologize 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 apologize 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 penalized, 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 dangerous 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 apologize to everyone. Now I will have time to reflect and clear my head.”
We’ll follow this closely to see what happens next.
