Marco Bezzecchi “sucked by the slipstream”, “didn’t like behaviour of Maverick”

Having flown to Melbourne for further medical checks after a massive accident with Maverick Vinales on the penultimate lap of the Australian MotoGP Sprint, Marco Bezzecchi faced the FIM Stewards upon his return to Phillip Island on Sunday.

The outcome was a long lap penalty for the VR46 rider, who had lost control in the braking zone for Turn 1 shortly after being passed by the Aprilia rider.

The FIM Stewards reported the circumstances as follows:

“At the start of Lap 11, between the finish line and Turn 1 #12 Vinales executed a pass on #72 Bezzecchi without contact.

“#12 braked regularly and consistently with his braking position over the previous three laps

“In reviewing the video evidence #72 is observed to start a change of direction, which together with a later braking point and higher velocity, made contact inevitable.

“Taking the above facts into consideration, the Stewards determine that the balance of responsibility for the collision and resulting crash rests clearly with #72.”

However, the Stewards accepted that “the effects of turbulent air caused by the pass of #12… may in this situation offer a degree of mitigation.”

As such, “whilst this incident could justify a double long lap penalty, with mitigating circumstances, a single long lap penalty will be applied.”

Bezzecchi, who qualified in fourth, dropped from an early second place behind Jorge Martin in Sunday's race to seventh after serving the long lap penalty.

Much worse was to follow when Bezzecchi fell on lap 5 and spent the rest of the grand prix in last position.

Returning to Saturday’s events, the young Italian - who will take over Vinales’ factory RS-GP seat in 2025 - said:

“Maverick passed me in the straight with the slipstream, and [turbulent air] meant my bike went on the left. So I needed to lean the bike steering straight to bring me away from the outside kerb, because the wind was also pushing to the outside.

“The problem is that as soon as I did this, he also put himself exactly in front of me and he braked earlier.

“You can see from the video that he braked and released and he braked again. Normally when you brake in the right point you don't release the brake.

“I just tried to continue to go on the right, but I got sucked by the slipstream and I couldn't do anything to avoid the contact.”

Although he would “prefer to not have the penalty. I understand the decision” since “normally who is behind is always the one who makes the mistake.”

But he felt that there have been other near misses where riders have been sucked into the slipstream under braking.

“For example, last year, it happened in Qatar with Pecco and Diggia, in Valencia with Martin and Pecco,” he said. “It was completely the same, just another type of corner. A little slower, a little bit less windy, a little bit less Phillip Island style, let's say.

“So it's a situation that could happen many times, but fortunately for the others, they were able to avoid all the time the disaster.

“What can I say? For me, what I didn't really like was the behaviour of Maverick, but for the penalty, to be honest, I don't complain, I did my long lap.”

On Saturday, Vinales felt that Bezzecchi had tried to re-pass, causing the incident.

“In my point of view, he wanted to overtake me again,” Vinales said. “This is the feeling I have. Because Di Giannantonio was behind [him] and he braked on a normal point. The Stewards need to decide.”

Quizzed on the Stewards also referring to Bezzecchi having “rolled off throttle and reapplied throttle and braked later” in response to the turbulence, the #72 said:

“I rolled off because he passed me so close that he moved my bike, but it was still 120 metres - from the data - before the normal braking… So I had to re-give a bit of throttle. And then I braked again like I always braked.

“Maybe he [Vinales] always braked earlier compared to me, I don't know. But what I can see is that he braked, he released, and he braked again. But he was in front, so I can't say anything.”

While Vinales was justifiably angry at being wiped out at such high speed, Bezzecchi felt it was inappropriate to give the middle finger as he lay in the gravel trap.

“We talked in the medical centre and told me, ‘No problem, the important thing is that we are fine’. And then he came to the interviews and was very angry with me!

“I didn't like his behaviour immediately after the crash. If it was the reverse, I would go to check how is the other rider instead of doing the middle finger and say ‘f**k’ to me many times after we crash at 300 km/h per hour.

“But anyway, the important thing is that we are fine.

“I went to Melbourne by helicopter, and I made a scan to the upper part of the body, the neck and head. For the doctor, it was very important to do it. Then I came back and this morning I made another visit with the MotoGP doctor.”

Vinales rode to eighth place in Sunday’s grand prix despite some pain in his arm and back.

“It was really good to be honest, especially to not get injured and that I can ride in Thailand [next weekend]. That's fantastic [because] we are still fighting for fifth position in the championship,” he said.

“I don't have nothing to say [about the long lap decision for Bezzecchi] because, at the end, the Stewards need to decide what penalty to give or not.”