MotoGP | Bastianini: “The Long Lap? I didn’t do it on purpose!”

The Catalan Grand Prix was a spectacle, but it also gave a lot to talk about in terms of regulations. Once again, the Race Direction has found itself in the eye of the storm for decisions that are considered inappropriate. This time the protagonist was Enea Bastianini who staged a real revolt on the track: she did not serve the penalty imposed.

While he was fighting with Alex Marquez, a maneuver by the Gresini rider forced him Beast to go wide, thus cutting the chicane. For this reason, the Race Direction inflicted a Long Lap Penalty on the official Ducati rider. The damage was more than insulting: for this reason, Bastianini decided not to deliberately serve the penalty. “I was forced to go outside, it was impossible to close the corner,” the Romagna native explained to the media after the race. “It would have also been dangerous, because I would have gone out for a bit and then I would have had to jump the curb at Turn 2. The only thing I could do was cut the chicane. Among other things, I followed the entire line because I didn’t want to get a Long Lap, but instead it added insult to injury.”

It wasn’t a communication problem, Bastianini chose not to do the Long Lap to assert his reasons: “I expected the stewards to decide to give me the position back, because even though there had been no contact, it wasn’t a correct maneuver . Instead, the Long Lap came to me, I couldn’t see it anymore and I decided not to do it.” Having not served the first penalty, the Race Direction decided to impose a second Long Lap, which was also not carried out. So, by regulation, here comes the arrival of a ride through.

Having reached the finish line in ninth position, as a consequence of all the penalties, he was demoted to 18th place because 32 seconds were taken from him. “I cut the chicane because I went long to pass Diggia. So I did that Long Lap there even though nothing had come out yet. Then I drove very dirty, I saw the two Long Laps coming my way, then the ride through… The dashboard was a beautiful Christmas tree. The thing that made me strange is that they thought I had gained time, this makes me think that they didn’t look carefully.”

To assert his reasons, at the end of the Catalunya Grand Prix Bastianini went to the Race Control. There the driver’s reason was ascertained, but by regulation no one could do anything further: “I went to race direction, obviously I didn’t agree with their decision. I spoke to the commissioners telling them to watch all the videos. We reviewed the images and they couldn’t tell me anything. They saw it too, the only thing they could do was try to get my position again. But even if the regulation provides this and they think he is right, they can’t do anything anymore.”

“I’m angry, but I can’t do anything about it. I’m keeping my anger and I’ll vent it next race. But it would certainly be nice to be able to do something and make our word worth something. We have now reached a point where we only look at the regulations, we no longer evaluate what one perceives from the outside. There is only the writing and it is unacceptable, because in certain situations a bit of humanity is needed,” concluded Bastianini.