Alex Rins has explained the tense exchange with a marshal at the Indonesian Grand Prix, calling it a misunderstanding. The Yamaha rider was seen on video making a middle-finger gesture towards a marshal after his return to the paddock was stopped following Friday’s crash.

Rins said he crashed at the final corner and found two or three marshals waiting with scooters. He initially climbed onto one, but the ride ended at the main straight, where the marshal left him. When Rins asked to be taken to his box, he was told to use a car, while two other marshals were directing him towards the box. The disagreement over how he should continue turned the recovery from the crash into a heated exchange.

Rins apologised for the gesture, noting that young fans watch the riders and that it was not an appropriate example. He also said he was under considerable stress at the time. According to Rins, the vehicle was an ordinary scooter, and this was the first occasion on which a marshal had not taken him all the way to the box after a crash.

On Saturday, after the sprint, Rins had a short conversation with the FIM stewards about what happened. He said the stewards were surprised by the incident. Rins was not penalised, while he continued to describe the confrontation as an unusual misunderstanding during his return from the circuit.