Aleix Espargaro questions MotoGP penalty consistency after Miller pile-up

Aleix Espargaro ‘doesn’t care’ that Jack Miller wasn’t penalised for triggering a lap one pile-up in the MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix but has questioned penalty consistency.

The Aprilia rider was one of three riders including Alex Marquez and Luca Marini who were taken out in a Turn 3 pile-up triggered by a crashing Miller on the opening lap of Sunday’s Indonesian GP.

The incident was investigated by the stewards but no further action was taken and Miller escaped punishment.

In the earlier Moto2 race, Zonta van den Goorbergh was hit with a double long lap penalty for contact with Jaume Masia at Turn 1 that resulted in the Spaniard crashing out.

While Espargaro isn’t bothered about the incident, he has questioned why van den Goorbergh was given a penalty for something he felt was “a normal touch in corner one” and nothing was given to Miller for something similar.

“It’s always difficult,” he began.

“I saw, for example, the decision in Moto2 of Zonta with Masia.

“They just gave a long lap penalty because Masia crashed. But I saw a normal touch in corner one.

“Why did he have that double long lap penalty and we didn’t? I don’t care.

“I don’t blame Jack. It can happen. It’s the first lap, he obviously risked a lot.

“This is why maybe you can understand the decision because if you check the helicopter shot he was completely out of the line. But it’s racing and it can happen.”

Miller agreed with the stewards’ decision and held his hands up that the crash was his mistake.

From Alex Marquez’s perspective, he too held not ill-will towards the KTM rider.  

“I mean, not a lot to say because I didn’t see the crash,” he added.

“Just some bikes hit me on the rear - I think it was the KTM from Miller.

“Maybe he was too optimistic going into that place and he touched the brakes and lost the front.

“It’s something that can happen. Everyone wants to recover fast, everyone wants to recover positions, especially on this track where the front tyre gets hot and it’s difficult to overtake.

“So, not much to say. A weekend to forget.”