Aleix Espargaro rejects aero defence in scary Bezzecchi/Vinales MotoGP crash

Aleix Espargaro doesn’t buy the conclusion from MotoGP’s stewards that aerodynamics were a mitigating circumstance in the scary Marco Bezzecchi/Maverick Vinales crash in Australia last weekend.

On the penultimate lap of last weekend’s Phillip Island sprint, Bezzecchi collided with the rear of Vinales’ Aprilia on the run into the fast Turn 1 and took both out of the race.

The stewards deemed Bezzecchi was at fault for the crash, but accepted that the influence of turbulent air from the RS-GP’s aerodynamics were a mitigating factory and handed him a more lenient punishment.

Acknowledging under what it felt would be normal circumstances that Bezzecchi’s punishment would have been a double long lap penalty, he was instead given a single long lap.

The stewards considering aero as being a factor in the crash has sparked the debate about it being potentially complicit in all accidents now.

However, on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Thailand Grand Prix, Vinales’ team-mate Espargaro rejected this and suggests Bezzecchi simply wasn’t careful enough.

“I mean, the aero makes the corner one of Phillip Island that is really easy to make a mistake [even harder],” he told the media, including Crash.net, at Buriram.  

“Anyway, if this was the first year with the wings, I could understand.

“But it’s been five years that we know what’s happening at corner one at Phillip Island [with aero].

“So, I think to go behind the aero to justify the action is not fair.”

Asked if he felt the penalty was strong enough, he added: “No, not at all.

“There’s many people saying that he was trying to overtake again.

“So, I don’t think Bez did it on purpose, 100%.

“But it was a big mistake and he caused a big crash, and the penalty, to put it in the same level as being in the middle [of the track] and impeding someone on a fast lap, it’s not fair.

“It’s not good. [It should have been] a lot [stronger].”

Bezzecchi ended up crashing out of the grand prix a lap after serving his penalty.

The VR46 rider had to go to hospital for checks after the crash in the sprint, but suffered no injuries save for some pain in a shoulder ligament.

“I’m feeling quite good,” Bezzecchi said on Thursday in Thailand.

“Still I have a problem on my left shoulder, that during the crash in the sprint I hurt a bit one ligament in the shoulder.

“Fortunately nothing is broken, but still it’s hurting me a bit.

“But anyway, I’m feeling quite good. I will see tomorrow when I ride the bike, but I was able to ride on Sunday during the race. So, I will suffer a bit but nothing crazy.”