The MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was banned from Sunday’s Czech GP after slapping a track steward in the face after a crash in Saturday’s sprint, MotoGP said on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Italian Aprilia Racing rider crashed out of the sprint with two laps to go. Footage on TNT Sports showed Bezzecchi running towards a steward, pushing him and then slapping him in the face as the steward was standing over his bike in the gravel.

“Bezzecchi will not take part in the Czech GP,” MotoGP said on its website.

A document published by the FIM MotoGP Stewards association told Bezzecchi that “following a crash you pushed and struck circuit Marshals who were trying to recover your machine”.

“That is an infringement of Article 3.3.2.2, an action ’prejudicial to the interests of the sport’,” they added.

Aprilia appealed the stewards’ decision on Saturday, but appeal stewards upheld the verdict, and Aprilia said it would not protest any further.

It is another blow to Bezzecchi’s hopes of a maiden MotoGP title after he failed to finish the Hungarian GP two weeks ago, when his teammate Jorge Martin took him out in turn one.

Adding to Aprilia’s woes at Brno, Martin will have to serve two long-lap penalties for causing that crash.

Bezzecchi apologised “to everyone, Aprilia Racing and my fans” in a statement.

“I would like to apologise to the entire MotoGP community for my behaviour toward the trackside marshall,” he said.

“I’m also sorry because I know how much effort and sacrifice marshalls make to ensure our safety. This behaviour shouldn’t happen and there is no justification for it.”

On Sunday MotoGP posted a video of Bezzecchi apologising to the steward and embracing him.

Bezzecchi leads the MotoGP rankings with 180 points, ahead of Martin with 165 and Fabio Di Giannantonio of Ducati with 146.