YAMAHA HANDED HEFTY POINTS PENALTY

Yamaha handed hefty points penalty – Photo: LAT

Yamaha as a MotoGP manufacturer and its two teams have all been dealt substantial points penalties for failing to respect protocol.

By DAN McCARTHY

Although it has not been officially confirmed, Auto Action understands that Yamaha altered engine componentry illegally under the engine freeze rule.

What has been announced is that Yamaha failed to respect the MSMA technical change protocols and as a result Yamaha, Monster Energy Yamaha & Petronas Yamaha SRT have all had points deducted.

It is clear that Yamaha failed to respect the protocol, which requires them to obtain unanimous approval from MSMA for technical changes.

In the first two rounds Valentino Rossi and Franco Morbidelli both suffered engine failures and the Japanese manufacturer later discovered that they were both caused by faulty valves.

Yamaha did request approval to the Manufacturers Association to allow them to unfreeze the engines on safety grounds, however, soon withdrew this request.

It is understood that not all Yamaha engines contain the same valves as they did at the beginning of the season, thus breaking the engine freeze.

As a result of this the Yamaha Motor Company has had 50 World Championship Constructor points withdrawn. This is double the points accumulated whilst not respecting the protocol required for technical changes.

Yamaha has now fallen from first in the Manufacturers’ Championship to third behind both Ducati and Suzuki.

The Monster Energy Yamaha squad has been docked 20 World Championship Team points with Petronas Yamaha SRT losing 37 World Championship Team points. This is the amount of points each team earned while not respecting the engine freeze rule Auto Action understands.

Rather than being seven points off Team Suzuki, Petronas Yamaha now sit a clear second, 44 points back in the Teams’ Championship.

With the 20 points removed, the Monster Energy factory Yamaha team falls behind the Red Bull KTM team to fifth.

None of the four Yamaha riders have received any points penalties in the Riders’ Championship.

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