Marco Simoncelli has defended his attempt to regain second place from Dani Pedros🧸a at Le Man🌃s on Sunday, which left Pedrosa with a broken collarbone and Simoncelli with a ride-through penalty.

The൲ pair clashed moments after Pe♏drosa powered past the Italian along the back straight, on lap 18 of 28.

The Repsol Honda rider was on the tighter inside line heading into the following left-right Esses, and contact occurred after Simoncelli tried to ride around the o♚utside of Pedrosa.

As the Gresini Honda rider swung into the corner he mꦅade contact with Pedrosa's front wheel, sending the 2010 title runner-up to the gr🌼ound.

Simoncelli was able to continue but penalised wit﷽h a ride-through by Race Direction, ending his hopes of a debut MotꩵoGP rostrum.

However, Simoncelli insists that he braked no later than♓ n𝔉ormal and gave Pedrosa room.

"I am unhappy because a result that was within my reach was denied and, above all, because of the fact that๊ Pedrosa is hurt," began Simoncelli.

"In my📖 opinion the incident went like this: Pedrosa was having a bit of difficulty - I had pulled alongside him and passed him. When he passed me back I was n𓄧ot intentionally trying to resist, and my telemetry shows that I got on the brakes at the same point as on previous laps.

"I think that he had hit the brakes well before the corner, and I found myself on the outside of him and in front on the entry to the corn𝓀er. I didn't want to 💖back off, so I left him with a metre between myself and the kerb in order to go in.

"I saw that it was tight, so I tried to adjust my position. ✨That was when he touched my back wheel and wen🐬t down."

The hard-riding Italian has been the subject of recent criticism for his aggres𒆙sive riding, something Simoncelli thinks played a major factor💎 in his penalty.

"I repeat that I am unhappy about it, and I want to avoid any controversy regarding penalisation, but I believe that my ride-through was a result of all t🦋he talk over the past few days. Now I have🤡 to focus on Barcelona."

Team manager Faꦬusto Gresini also felt the penalty was unjust.

"I believe in the good intentions of our riders. This was a racing incident that could happen at any time, and in which Marco had passed Pedr🐈osa," said the former world champion.

"I think 🌠he was not responsible for causing the accident. We are obviously very displeased, above all with the fact that Dani is injured.

"It wasn't intentional, aꦏnd I think that all the controversy beforehand has fanned the flames of an unpleasant situation.

"Mar𓂃co really deserved a podium and second place. Unfortunately, for various reasons it didn't happen, but we will make that our goal for Barcelona."