Aleix Espargaro on Marc Marquez’s crash at Portuguese MotoGP: “They have to ban him for one race, minimum”
A mistake from Marquez saw him clatter into thꦅe back of Miguel Oliveira, wiping them both out of the race on the third lap.
Marquez apologised and was hit by a double long lap penalty to be served at next Sunday's Argentina MotoGP - although he will now miss that r꧃ace after undergoing hand surgery on an injury caused by the accident.
Oliveira has escaped any broken bones after a nasty fall, but an angry Espargaro ha༒s called for action.
“For me, they have to ban him for one race, minimum,” he said. “Like Takaaki Nakagami in🐟 Barcelona.
“I don’t make the rules. I just hope Miguel is good. The speed he was hit at c🐠an destroy your knee.
“Brad hit my knee and I had pain for one year🔯. So I hope Miguꦺel is OK.”
The first race weekend of 2023 saw Espargaro’s brother, Pol Espargaro, suffer jaw and lung injuries in a crash on Friday, then Enea Bastianini brok📖e his shoulder blade after an incident with Luca Marini.
Yet Joan Mir, who made contact wit𝐆h Fabio Quartararo on Saturday, was given a lo🎶ng lap penalty which he served on Sunday.
Espargaro raged: “We have a million cameras on the bike. Why can’t they see these cameras and analyse it? We are 🎃20 riders, not 100.
“The action between Jo💮an and 🅠Fabio, and Luca and [Enea], was the same.
“Why did Joan get a penalty but Alex Marq൲uez didn’t? I’m not saying Joan should get a penalty. But if one gets a penalty, the other must.”
Espargaro said about Sunday’s race: “I did 🍨 a good start then Binder hit me. I don’t know why he didn’t receive a penalty.
“I hope he can receive a penalty.
“Also, I don’t understand why [Saturday’s] action between Alཧex Marquez and my teammate didn’t receive a [penalty].”
Aprilia rider Espargaro finished ninth in Portimao in the s♓eason-opening r🅷ace.
“I am very happy about my physical condition,” he said. “I had doubts because in Malaysia I d🍒idn’t feel good, at at the test I had a problemജ with my arm.
“In the last laps I was relaxed, the guys in front were slowe꧒r but I couldn’t o꧅vertake.
“But mentally? This ne♌w format is tough. This is because it’s different so we will get used to it. Every session is important, the only free session is 20 minutes on Saturday. The most important session has no point - qualifying.
“It’s not about speed - if you can’t do a goodౠ qualifying, t🌳here’s nothing you can do.
“My𒅌 position in the raceඣ was my fault because I f***** up in qualifying.”
James ꦫwas a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to f꧋ootball, to F1.
