Luca Marini on Enea Bastianini clash at Portuguese MotoGP: “A racing incident; sprint races become dangerous”
Bastianini’s factory Ducati debut got off to a nightmare start but he was knoꦆcked off his bike by Marini, a fellow Ducati rider, in the first-ever sprint race of the new format.
Bast✨ianini broke a shoulder bla𓃲de and will miss at least Sunday’s full-length race and the Argentina MotoGP next weekend.
VR46 rider Marini was asked if he emerged ♏unscathed and replied: “For me, nothing. It’s a pity. I just made my line. I was leaning one degree more to avoid any contact with Enea. And I lost the front.
“Then my bike hit himไ. It’s a pity also for him. T꧃hese things can happen.
“It’s always a problem. I am sorry for t🐻his.
“It was a racing incid🙈ent. 𒀰I hope he can be well. I went to his box but he wasn’t yet back from the medical centre.”
Joan Mir wa🧸s hit with a long lap penalty for his contact with Fabio Quartararo, but Marini escaped any punishment for clashing with Bastianini.
He ha🤪d said about Race Direction: “If they want to hear from me, no pro꧅blem. I am here.
“There was no contact between riders. One rider crashed, the bike hit anoꦕther rider. This is impossible to avoid.”
The controversial inclusion of spriꦯnt races into a new format for the 2023 MotoGP season has ♑already seen Pol Espargaro and Bastianini suffer injuries in different sessions. They will each miss next weekend in Argentina, if not longer.
Mari𒁏ni spoke about the hazards of the Saturday sprint race: “From the inside, it’s a jungle. Everybody knows they can be on the podium, but everybody knows there are only a f💫ew laps to make it.
“It’s harder than the long race, for me. It is a more difficult race. If 🔴you are 100% with your bike and confidence🐬 on a Sunday, it is easier.
“There is no panic, but you must rush. Everybody tries to overtake. It starts to bec𒁏ome dangerous.
“But this is the format. This year, we have to🦹 d📖o this.
“Evܫerybody 💝is smart enough to do a good sprint race in the future.
“It’s a bigger risk for everybody because 12 riders are figh꧙ting for the podium instead of six.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for🍷 a decade covering everything from 💖American sports, to football, to F1.
