Pol Espargaro crashed at Turn 10 at high speed and with his inertia he was thrown off the bike, falling to the ground and rolling up to the crash barriers. However, that area was not protected by the air fences, the classic covers that are placed at the points where the pilots fall to cushion the blow. According to what was assured by some riders, the Safety Commission had already been asked several times before to put on protections, without however being listened to.
Marc Marquez raised his voice on Thursday, like many other riders, to complain about the situation. The Honda rider was clear and demanded that the problem be resolved. “We need to put the air fences there, but not next year, tomorrow,” he said.
No sooner said than done. The MotoGP reacted and in the early morning of Saturday the safety managers worked to place protective barriers at the point where Pol Espargaro crashed, to completely protect the area.
Espargaro will not contest the rest of the Grand Prix and will probably miss the following races after suffering a fractured jaw, a vertebra and a serious chest trauma. The Catalan is currently hospitalized in Faro and, although he is completely out of danger, his recovery will not be quick. Both his team and his staff are celebrating the fact that, despite the seriousness of the crash, Pol will be able to recover perfectly and will be able to race again when he recovers, it’s only a matter of time.
In addition to the new air curtains at turn 10, members of the Safety Commission have inspected the gravel in the run-off areas, another factor the drivers complain about, as when they fall into the gravel they are spat at high speed and this puts in danger their integrity and leads them to reach the shock barriers. Portimao Circuit has laid new gravel in some areas, as requested by the drivers, but will face a complete change of this material in all run-off areas.
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