Former MotoGP rider Anthony West has had his ban from racing extended by another six months as punishment for continuing to compete while under suspension for another offence.
The Australian racer was originally banned from competing between 17 January 2019 until 14 September 2020 after a prohibited substance was found in his system that was against the FIM Anti-Doping Code (CAD). It is the second time he has received a suspension for drug related activity.
However, West went on to race in several rounds of the Brazilian Superbike Championship in 2019, earning him a strict rebuke from the FIM in January 2020, who proceeded to remind him of his violations and consider his actions.
With the original drugs suspension coming to an end imminently, the FIM has announced it is extending this by another six months – to conclude 14 March 2021 – as punishment for the races he competed in during the period of ineligibility.
“During his period of ineligibility Mr West participated in several rounds of the Brazilian Superbike Championship,” a statement read. “The CDI has considered that the participation of Mr West in the aforementioned motorcycling competitions constituted violations of the prohibition against participation during ineligibility and has imposed to Mr. West a new period of ineligibility of 6 months starting from 15 September 2020 and ending on 14 March 2021, in accordance with article 10.12.3 CAD.
“An appeal against this decision may be lodged before the Court for Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.”
West – who competed with Kawasaki in MotoGP, started races in WorldSBK and is a race winner at Moto2 level – has previously justified his actions of racing in Brazil because the series isn’t sanctioned by the FIM governing body. The FIM responded by saying the ban covers all forms of professional motorsport activity.
West made headlines earlier in the year for an alarming outburst (which has since been deleted) on his Facebook page in which he accused the FIM of allowing Marc Marquez to cheat his way to the 2013 Moto2 World Championship with a special ECU and said Valentino Rossi’s 500GP world titles were achieved because he had tyres developed for him.
"I quit, I’m done,” he wrote in January 2020. “These corrupt people are out of control and out to destroy me. I raced in Brazil a championship That was a NOT FIM affiliated. Now they invent there own rules like they have control over me racing there.
“They already stopped me from racing there by going to Kawasaki japan and making them stop my sponsorship in Brazil. I hate life as it is and I was trying to do my best to come back broke.”
