FIM disqualifies Adrian Fernandez over tampered Leopard Honda engines

FIM stewards disqualified Adrian Fernandez from multiple Moto3 GPs after finding security seals had been breached on Leopard Racing Honda engines, costing him the points from the affected rounds and dropping him down the championship standings. Different outlets reported varying effects on his placing — he was recorded as falling from third to as low as 11th, 19th or 20th, with reported season point totals varying between 13 and 41 depending on which results were struck. The irregularities were identified after a routine engine seizure and post‑race inspection at the French GP. Honda’s checks found anomalies on engine units #810 and #811. The stewards concluded that wire seals and sealing stickers did not conform to the approved system and that at least one engine had been opened without authorization, citing breaches of Articles 2.6.3.3 and 3.3.2.2 of the FIM regulations. The stewards treated the tampered engines as rebuilt under Article 2.6.3.3.13(c), meaning each counted as two units against Fernandez’s six‑engine allocation. Unit #811 was also withdrawn as unfit for competition on safety grounds. Sources differed on the full scope of results annulled. Several notices and rulings disqualified Fernandez from the Thai, Brazilian, United States and Spanish GPs in relation to one engine and from the French and Catalan GPs in relation to the other (opening six races), while one report focused on four rounds tied to engine #810. Because outlets reported different sets of excluded rounds, the published impacts on Fernandez’s points and standings vary. Leopard Racing’s appeals against the disqualification were rejected by the FIM stewards after a hearing; the team has five days to escalate the case to the International Court of Appeal. The stewards’ report did not specify whether further team sanctions will follow, and Leopard had not issued a public comment in the immediate aftermath.