It’s not just the overtaking that ignites the flames MotoGP in Catalonia: the controversy involved is discussed Enea Bastianini, Alex Marquez and the Race Direction. Towards the halfway point of the race, in a tussle for eighth and ninth position, the Italian Ducati rider arrived alongside the Spaniard from the Gresini team at the first braking point. Alex is not intimidated and his braking, without contact, forces Bastianini to end up on the curb and to widen his trajectory, thus cutting through Turn 2, the final part of the initial chicane. A choice that led to the penalty, with consequent controversy.
the penalty
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In fact, Enea received a long lap penalty, imposed by the Race Direction because, according to the stewards, the Italian driver would have benefited from the excursion. Bastianini should have served the penalty within three laps, but he continued on. So here’s a new blow, through the assignment of a second long lap penalty. Enea managed to complete only one of the two “long laps” and the Race Direction gave him the third penalty of the day: 30 seconds, the equivalent of a ride through, i.e. the passage from the pit lane, added to the final time of the Ducati rider. Thus Bastianini went from ninth to eighteenth place, finishing outside the points.
enraged
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Immediately after the race, Enea went to the stewards to express his disappointment together with the team manager Davide Tardozzi. Later, at Sky, explained his point of view on the matter: “I passed Alex Marquez on the straight and he threw me off the track before the chicane. I was expecting a long lap against him and instead they gave it to me. So I decided to not do it immediately and I received another one immediately afterwards. The Race Direction thought that I had gained from cutting the corner, but it wasn’t like that: I was managing myself in view of the race finale this, it only hurts us to think about it.” Alex Marquez’s point of view is different, always through Skyhe replied to his colleague: “He should have braked instead of cutting the curve. By doing so, he would have lost a second. Furthermore, he didn’t even take the long lap penalty. This says it all…”.
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accusation
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Tardozzi was also disappointed. The Ducati team manager attacks Race Direction: “Given that long lap penalties must be done to avoid worse consequences, Enea is totally right: Marquez pushed him out – his words to Sky -. To avoid contact, Bastianini couldn’t to do anything other than cut and among other things he came back behind Alex. I’m stunned by the 30 second penalty, it seems to me that the stewards realized they had made a mistake. When I protested, I asked Freddie Spencer (head of the stewards MotoGP, ed) what he would have done in Enea’s place on the motorbike and he lowered his eyes.” The manager concludes with hope: “I hope they remove this penalty, even if I fear they won’t. It would be right to apologize.”
