Avintia fires mechanic who used botched COVID test to enter MotoGP paddock

Avintia Racing has confirmed it has terminated its contract with an unnamed member of its team after he was caught attempting to submit a botched COVID test result in an effort to enter the Emilia Romagna MotoGP paddock at Misano.

Earlier this week it emerged the mechanic had been hauled up by the FIM for submitting a test result that was in fact an older negative test result that had been falsified.

The person was traced to Avintia Racing, which has subsequently confirmed has fired the offending individual.

“From Avintia Esponsorama Racing we show our total conformity with all the measures taken by Dorna and IRTA that, as well as our team policy and code of conduct to which all its members adhere, including mechanics, technicians, family members, sponsors, or any other person close to the team, we are obliged to take specific disciplinary measures and close all relations with our team member, who yesterday, thanks to the great work being done by Dorna and IRTA, unsuccessfully falsified a PCR test to get the access to the paddock of the Misano circuit for the next Grand Prix.

“Being the team indirectly responsible for assuming all the costs derived from the exceptional measures by the COVID-19 protocols to all its workers, with this type of actions we are aware that they have wanted to obtain their own benefit putting at risk the rest of the people who make up the team and the championship. These behaviours not only damage the image of the team, but also the rest of the paddock and the championship as a whole.

“We would like to clarify that it is the responsibility of each team member to enter their access and PCR test for the organisation, on an online platform for each circuit according to the guidelines that, for COVID-19 reasons, are currently in force for access to the paddock.

“Avintia Esponsorama Racing would like to apologise and thank DORNA and IRTA for all the efforts made to keep everyone in the MotoGP paddock safe, allowing the championship to run properly.”

The MotoGP paddock has been largely free of COVID cases in 2021 after strict measures and limitations on who can enter the paddock at races was introduced at the start of the delayed 2020 MotoGP season.

Only two MotoGP riders - Valentino Rossi and Iker Lecuona - have been forced to miss events because of a positive COVID-19 test, plus Jorge Martin in Moto2, all in 2020.