An unedifying Sunday
From Francesco Bagnaia’s ‘drop position’ in Jerez a year ago for a crossing of trajectories in which the opponent simply had to lift the bike, passing through the drop position – by the rules impeccable – of Daniel Holgado in Moto3 for having touched the green by a millimetre at the exit of Misano-1 on the last lap, arriving at the ‘all regular’ a few hours later for the entry into the braking of the Rio curve of Enea Bastianini to the detriment of Jorge Martin, also on the last lap. Three episodes, the first provocativethe last two however decidedly less so, which open a dangerous drift in view of a season finale that promises to be ‘at the limit’ if not beyond.
Jorge Martin reacted after suffering the attack of Enea Bastianini by doing the umbrella gesture crossing the finish line, a few meters later when he reached Bastianini right towards the Rio curve in the lap of honor he congratulated the winner. In the podium room he then declared that the umbrella gesture was addressed to Bastianini. Truth or lie? If it had been addressed to the Ducati box it would not be surprising. Two years ago in the same braking on the last lap Bastianini moved to the outside to avoid the risk of ending up in contact with Francesco Bagnaia. At the time Ducati was busy chasing the ‘enemy’ Fabio Quartararo. Jorge Martin is not exactly an ‘enemy’, but it is obvious that for the ‘red’ box the five points less taken away by Bastianini from Martin are useful in light of Bagnaia’s zero. Double standards for Bastianini in the same situation, two years ago he was destined to get on the official Ducati and he didn’t risk overtaking the future world champion, this time he has his bags in hand and has had no problems attacking those like him who will leave Ducati at the end of the season.
Martin stressed that Bastianini’s attack was over the limit in his view, Bastianini believes it was an aggressive move comparable to Martin’s closing down the Quercia exit after the Pramac rider went slightly wide under braking. “Jorge and I know how it went.” Bastianini said and in fact there doesn’t seem to be any bitterness between the two and the post-race shows it. Martin expressed his nervousness because he feels surrounded, even if he races with a Ducati he is the Fabio Quartararo of 2022 in this 2024 and it is he who must beat the red box to avoid seeing the number #1 heading towards Noale.
Francesco Bagnaia – furious with Michelin – analyzing the episode said that Bastianini’s overtaking was regular because he ended up on the blue and not the green and He also dug up Martin’s list of ‘precedents’ against him in the 2023 finale (two braking points in India and in the Qatar Sprint where Martin basically forced Bagnaia to do what the Spaniard had to do yesterday, lift the bike and give space). Marc Marquez, on the other hand, said that Bastianini’s overtaking when the Italian rider remains within the limits of the track, when he exceeds them the penalty should be triggered. A position, that of Marquez, which is difficult not to agree with. Blue or green should be relative, Bastianini goes beyond the kerb. There were no communications from the Race Direction because a complaint from the Pramac team would have been needed, a complaint that understandably did not arrive and that would have certainly arrived with the roles reversed, just think of the report in Holland that led to Martin’s demotion of three positions on the starting grid at Assen for an impeding against Miguel Oliveira (another straw to add to the cup that overflowed yesterday at the finish line).
Yesterday’s is certainly a dangerous precedent. Martin said he will act accordingly, Marquez explained that from his point of view it is a penalty-worthy overtaking like his past moves (maneuvers for which he was penalized) and in the space of a few hours they went from a drop position to the detriment of Holgado to a completely regular one in favor of Bastianini and to the detriment of Martin, who has already said he is ready to do the same between now and Valencia.
#Umbrella #gesture #fall #reasons #Bagnaia #Martins #nervousness
