Le Mans MotoGP: 'We cannot do this' - Mir, Vinales cross paths in FP2
Not for the first time this season, MotoGP 🅠title contenders Maverick Vinales and Joan Mir exchanged some hand signals after crossi📖ng paths on track during day one of the French Grand Prix.
Friday's incident occurred when Vinales, having run off-track in the damp afternoon conditions, re-joined the circuit just ahea🙈d of the Suzuki rider - who made his displeasure clear.
Not for the first time this season, MotoGP title contenders Maverick Vinales and Joan M🅘ir exchanged some hand signals after crossing paths on track during day one of the French Grand Prix.
Friday's incident occurred when Vinales, having run off-track in the damp afternoon conditions, re-j𝐆oined the circuit just ahead of the Suzuki rider - who made his displeasure clear.
"I was not super angry," Mir insiste𝓰d afterwards. "I was really surprised t💞o see one bike coming across the straight like this. I didn’t see any movement of Maverick's head, he was just looking at the track.
"The good thing is I closed the throttle. Imagine if I was 50m more in front? We could have had a dangerous moment, but it would have been a lot worse for him because I w♋as the one with the speed.
"ඣIt’s important everyone understands this cannot happen. I don’t want to blame Vinales. But it’s something to consider that we cannot do this. Thꦓis layout is really dangerous because [you rejoin] in the middle of the straight."
This was 's repsonse!
— MotoGP (@MotoGP)
Vinales insisted he had not only seen Mir but ﷺtaken the safest option to rejoin.
"I s🔥aw him before re-entering, and then I was on the grasꦇs, so I will not lean the bike on the grass because you will crash when it's wet, so I just went straight," said the Monster Yamaha rider.
"I don't know if it🌃 was enough roomꦛ on the track to pass, but I don't think I was too aggressive and for sure not intentional, because I re-entered on the grass, and I didn't want to lean the bike, because there it is very dangerous.
"Imagine if I crashed, the bike wou🌄ld go in the middle of the track🅺 when he passes.
"Afterwards I said, 'I see you, don't worry'. I th🎉ink I gave💮 him enough space, but I don't know, I was not on Joan's bike to see.
"But anyway, I tried to enter&nbs💟p;the 𒅌track as safely as I can."
Vinales went꧙ on to finish second faste♏st on Friday, with Mir in ninth.
The pair are currently second (Mir) and third (Vinales) in the world championꦬship standings behind Fabio Quartararo, who was eleventh quickest on Friday.
Peter has been in the⛄ paddock for 20 year🥂s and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.