In the final stages of Sunday’s 24-lap Barcelona race, Quartararo’s Yamaha leather split about five from the finish and he was seen taking off his chest protector at Turn 3 while trailing eventual winner Miguel Oliveira.
Quartararo drove on to the checkered flag with his suit completely open, but was initially not punished despite the regulations on safety equipment: “The equipment must be worn and correctly attached at all times during the activity on the route.”
However, after further investigation by the MotoGP stewards panel on Sunday evening, it was assumed that Quartararo had violated safety equipment regulations.
As a result, the Yamaha rider was given a three-second penalty that moved him from fourth in the race standings to sixth, Joan Mir to fourth, and Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales to fifth.
A statement from FIM reads: “On June 6, 2021, during the MotoGP race of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, you [Quartararo] it has been found that you are not properly fastened with your leather suit and without the required chest protection.
“This is a violation of Article 2.4.5.2 of the Regulations for the FIM World Championship Grand Prix.
“For the above reasons, the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel has imposed a three-second penalty on the race results of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya MotoGP race.”
Quartararo had already received a three-second penalty for violating the track barriers in the final stages in turns 1 and 2 when a mistake sent him through the run-off zone and he hadn’t lost a second in the lap time of the rider behind.
Quartararo fell from third place on the checkered flag to fourth place.
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Quartararo had no explanation for why his leather was cracking and said Alpinestars would be looking into the problem.
A number of riders felt that Quartararo should have raced the black flag during the race for the violation, while Suzukis told Mir the Yamaha man put other riders at risk by removing his chest protector.
In response to those comments and requests for a penalty, Quartararo took to Instagram to vent his frustration.
“Congratulations to anyone who complains about another sentence,” he wrote.
“I didn’t put anyone in danger, as a ride says, and it was already difficult for me to drive.
“But it’s great to see the real faces of some people. I just want to thank all the people who support me and help me in difficult moments. See you next.”
Quartararo’s most recent penalty means his lead in the championship shrinks from 17 to 14 points over Pramacs Johann Zarco, who finished second in Barcelona on Sunday.