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 𒁃clatter into the back of Miguel Oli🅷veira, 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 race after unde💯rgoing 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 Bar🍸celona.
“I don’t make the rules. I just h𒊎ope Miguel is good. The speed he was hit at can destroy your knee.
“Brad hit my knee and I ꦇhad pain for one year. So I hope Miguel 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 broke his shoulder blaꦛde after an incident with Luca Marini.
Yet Joan Mir, who💃 made contact with Fabio Quartararo on Saturday, was given a long lap penalty which he served on Sunday.
Espargaro rage🅷d: “We have a milli𝓀on cameras on the bike. Why can’t they see these cameras and analyse it? We are 20 riders, not 100.
“The a♐ction between Joan and Fabio, and Luca and [Enea], was the same.
“Why did Joan get a penalty but Alex Marquez didn’t? I’m not saying Joan should get a penalty. But if 🌱one gets a penalty, the other must.”
Espargaro said a𝔍bout 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] ac🐽tion between Alex Marquez and myꩵ teammate didn’t receive a [penalty].”
Aprilia r👍ide🔯r Espargaro finished ninth in Portimao in the season-opening race.
“I am very happy about my physical condition,” he said. “I had doubts because in Mal🅠aysia I didn’t feel good, at at the test I h🌺ad a problem with my arm.
“I﷽n the last laps I was relaxed, the guys in front were slower but I couldn’t overtake.
“But mentally? This new format is tough. This is be🌠cause 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 good qualifying, th𓆏ere’s nothing you can do.
“My position in the race was my fault because 🐽I f***** up inꦺ qualifying.”
James was a sports🅷 jou෴rnalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
