Formula 1’s broadcast team faced backlash during the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix’s opening practice session after motorcycling icon Marc Marquez was erroneously labeled as a “former rider” on the official feed. The error occurred as Marquez, the reigning MotoGP champion, toured the Audi garage as a guest. While the on-screen text was swiftly corrected, fans seized on the moment, flooding social media with commentary.
A Reddit user noted: “Went back to him and fixed it now. The graphics guy is out the back being flogged,” while another quipped, “He used to be a MotoGP rider, he still is, but he used to be one too.” The mix-up drew comparisons to Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty at the Australian GP, dubbed a “Colapinto-and-go” penalty.
One fan sarcastically remarked, “Same energy,” while another highlighted Marquez’s dominance in MotoGP: “He literally did the double last weekend.”
The incident unfolded as Mercedes driver George Russell secured the fastest time in the first practice session, with McLaren’s Lando Norris claiming pole in the second round. Kimi Antonelli, a Mercedes junior driver, currently leads the F1 constructors’ championship by 66 points over Lewis Hamilton.
The final practice session is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at 12:30pm local time (11:30am UK time), with qualifying to follow at 4pm local time (3pm UK time). Adjustments to the graphics system ensured accuracy for Marquez’s ongoing MotoGP campaign, amid growing scrutiny of broadcast precision as the season progresses.