MotoGP investigating after rider ‘attacked by one of his own mechanics’
MotoGP are investigating after a shocking video emerged of former British Moto3 racer Tom Booth-Amos allegedly being attacked by one of his own mechanics.
The footage surfaced on Friday, but was filmed at the 2019 MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix when Booth-Amos raced for the CIP Greenpower team. In the video it showed a member of Booth-Amos’ team appearing to repeatedly strike him inside his pitbox.
The Brit was not kept on at the team for 2020 and he subsequently made the move to the World Superbike paddock to compete in Supersport 300, before he stepped up to the main World Supersport class this year.
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Booth-Amos himself has taken to social media to comment on the video, where he said the incident happened after his retirement in the Thailand GP due to an issue with his bike caused by a mechanic. However, he also went on to claim that it was not the only problem he encountered behind the scenes at the team but that he had kept quiet as he wanted to remain in the MotoGP paddock for 2020.
He said in his statement: “The video that’s appeared is from the 2019 Thai Grand Prix. There was a lot of issues with the team that year that was never spoken about, and I kept quiet just to try and keep my ride for the 2020 season as it was my dream to stay in that paddock.
“This happened after the race when my bike broke down due to a mechanic's error, I was asked not to say anything and to keep quiet. I never told anyone, including Dorna, and my management at the time.
“That’s just one thing that happened that year. People don’t know what goes on behind the TV screen.”
As reported by journalist Simon Patterson, MotoGP has now confirmed that an investigation is underway into the incident. A host of figures within the sport have also come out in support of Booth-Amos including MotoGP rider Aleix Espargaro.
He told The Race: “I saw the video, and I’ve never been that angry in all my career. I’ve never seen something like this in a paddock, and I called Carlos Ezpeleta (MotoGP’s sporting director) and I talked with him. I’m nobody to decide, but I feel like I’m one of the old men of this paddock after almost 20 years in it.
“We have no riders’ union, but I think that it’s right that the moral riders speak up when something like this happens. For me this guy has to be out of the paddock, and Dorna has to go to the courts with him.
“This is something that we’ve seen in other places, and this is even more dangerous. It’s a very bad image for the championship, and I was very angry. He was a kid. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The mechanic involved in the footage is reported to no longer be working with the CIP Moto team. They released their own statement where they apologised to their former rider.
Their statement said: “About the video from 2019, on behalf of the team, we strongly denounce this kind of behaviour, and we want to publicly apologise to Tom Booth-Amos. A team is not the effort of one person, but of a whole group of people.
“That’s why this technician is no longer involved in our team. Violence of any kind is not acceptable in our sport and beyond. We have taken all the necessary measures to ensure that it does not happen again in the future.”
Dorna, the commercial rights holder for MotoGP told The Race in a statement: “The incident that occurred at the 2019 Thai GP involving Moto3 rider Tom Booth-Amos and his former team has recently come to light. Accordingly, it is being investigated."
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