Catalunya MotoGP: Aleix Espargaro: “Don’t try and overtake 25 riders in the first corner”

Aleix Espargaro says riders being too aggressive on the opening corner of races is the reason for big MotoGP crashes.
Aleix Espargaro, MotoGP race, Catalunya MotoGP, 3 September
Aleix Espargaro, MotoGP race, Catalunya MotoGP, 3 September

Riders disagreed on whether mo💮ving the starting position would make a difference, but Espargaro, who claimed a stunning Catalan double, didn’t hold back in his assessment.

"I think we are good enough to try and brake in the right point and not try to ove✅rtake 25 riders in the first corner," sa🐻id Espargaro. 

𒁏"It’s not about where you put the start, it's about who rides the bike. It’s not that difficult, we have to be a bit more relaxed in the first corner.♛ 

"Eight riders crashed in the first corner today and it’s dangerous. But believe m♉e, it’s not about where you put the start. 

"If you put the start in♌ the corner but somebody doesn’t want to brake then it will not help either." ꦆ;

Today’s incident saw Enea Bastianini wipe out four other Ducati riders after running into the rear of Johann Zarco at turn on🍃e. 

That was moments before anothe🎃r factory Ducati rider went down as Francesco Bagnaia highsided in sp꧂ectacular fashion on the exit of turn two. 

Speaking in th💜e post-race press conference Vinales agreed with Espargaro’s take, saying: "It’s very clear that it’s about where you brake. 

"We saw☂ a rider that took too much risk and then had no space. I think it has nothing to do with the layout."

While penalties havಌe become more clear and consiste𒊎nt in recent races, for such incidents, Espargaro suggested that lap one mistakes that have huge impacts on multiple riders should be treated in a harsher way. 

Espargaro concluded: "I would like to say that for me, the penalties are okay [in general]ꦫ but the penal♒ties in corner one need to be more aggressive. 

"I think it’s one 💎Long Lap penalty. But one Long Lap penalty you can get in one race, but in the first corner, if you produce a crash of five riders then this should ✨minimum a double Long Lap penalty."

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