Moto2: Marquez, Espargaro penalty saga finally settled?

The saga of the post-race penalty imposed on Marc Marquez for his collision with title rival Pol Espargaro in the closing stages of the Catalan Moto2 race looks to have finally come to an end.

A hearing held at Assen on Wednesday, the day before the start of the Dutch round, upheld the decision of the FIM Stewards, who had overturned the post-race penalty handed to Marquez by Race Direction.

A message on the official MotoGP Twitter feed read: "Pol Espargaro's appeal was rejected and the FIM Stewards decision to cancel Marc Marquez penalty stands."

Update: The full official ruling can now be seen below.

An investigation into the collision, which occurred when Marquez cut back onto the racing line after running wide in a near fall, was announced moments after the June 3 incident.

Marquez was able to continue following the contact, but Espargaro - who had tried to take advantage of Marquez's mistake by diving for the gap created on the inside - suffered a heavy fall (pictured).

When Marquez - who said he had not seen Espargaro - took his place on the podium, in third, and official results were published it seemed no action would be taken.

However Race Direction later imposed a one-minute penalty on the Spanish teenager for an 'infringement to article 1.21.2', which states: "Riders must ride in a responsible manner which does not cause danger to other competitors or participants."

This dropped Marquez to 23rd on the revised results.

Unusually, the decision of Race Direction was then overturned by the FIM Stewards and Marquez was thus reinstated in third and yet another version of the final results published.

But Espargaro's Pons 40 HP Tuenti team placed an appeal against the ruling made by the FIM Stewards. It was that appeal which was heard at Assen on Wednesday.

Marquez thus keeps his 16 Catalunya points and will start this weekend's seventh round leading the championship lead by six points over Espargaro and Thomas Luthi.

"FIM Road Racing Grand Prix World Championship
"CDI: Appeal of team Pons 40 HP Tuenti

"The International Disciplinary Court (CDI) chaired by Judge Frantisek Schulmann, convened a Hearing today at the TT Assen Circuit to judge the Appeal lodged by the team of the Spanish rider Pol Espargar? against a decision of the FIM Stewards taken following the Moto2 race of the Grand Premi Aperol held on the circuit of Catalunya on 03 June 2012.

"Rider Marc M?rquez, #93, was initially sanctioned by the Race Direction with a 1-minute time penalty to be added to his overall time for infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix regulations. As a result, he finished with rank 23.

"Upon an Appeal lodged by rider M?rquez before the FIM Stewards against the decision of the Race Direction and after having viewed and reviewed many times the collision between the riders M?rquez and Espargar?, the three FIM Stewards unanimously decided that the behaviour of Marc M?rquez showed no deliberate intention to cause an accident. Consequently, the first appeal body composed of the three FIM Stewards quashed the decision of the Race Direction.

"Following the FIM Stewards' decision, the team of rider Espargar?, Pons 40 HP Tuenti, lodged in due time an Appeal against the FIM Stewards' decision. Following today's Hearing of the Appellant and due consideration having been given to all arguments and to videos of the collision, the CDI judge decided to receive but then to dismiss the appeal of the Team Pons 40 HP Tuenti.

"A reasoned decision will be notified to the Appellant in due time. An Appeal against this decision may be lodged before the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) within five days following the notification of the written Appeal to the team Pons 40 HP Tuenti."