The 2022 MotoGP returns to the track this weekend in Malaysia, with collective pre-season testing at Sepang. The Malaysian authorities demanded a bubble protocol for those involved with the category throughout the week due to the increase in Covid-19 cases after the appear of the Omicron variant.
Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro has posted on social media images of a workout in the city of Putrajaya, which is in the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Region and therefore outside the bubble area.
As a result, Sepang circuit officials sent an email to the FIM to inform them that there had been a failure in the restrictions and that they would have to notify the authorities.
According to Autosport, the email did not mention Espargaro, but said that a driver continued to disrespect the bubble and the restrictions, which represents a sanitary violation and a serious offense that compromises the position of the circuit with the authorities.
However, Espargaro has denied that he did not know that the restrictions were valid for the shakedown and thought that they would only come into effect for the actual tests. But he promised that he won’t do it again during in Malaysia.
MotoGP staff are confined to the hotels they are staying in, with travel allowed only to and from the circuit, all this after mandatory PCR tests when they arrived in Malaysia.
The Sepang Shakedown Test is underway as MotoGP factory test riders and premier class rookies become the first to head out on track in 2022.
The shakedown takes place between the 31st of January to the 2nd of February at the Sepang International circuit, before the whole grid joins the action on the 5th and 6th of February for the official Sepang test.
