Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro said MotoGP stewards have sent a “dangerous” message to riders by letting Enea Bastianini get away with his collision with Jorge Martin in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Factory Ducati rider Bastianini attempted a divebomb pass over long-time race leader Martin on the final lap of the Misano race, leading to contact between the pair at Turn 4.
Pramac’s Martin was forced to sit up and pushed off the track, while Bastianini — who himself ran wide — emerged unscathed to claim his second win of 2024 in controversial circumstances.
The incident has garnered a lot of debate among riders and fans, with the opinion split on whether the Italian had overstepped his boundaries and if the clash can be dismissed as hard racing.
The stewards panel led by two-time 500cc champion Freddie Spencer never formally investigated the incident and the results of the race stand still.
MotoGP veteran Espargaro, however, wasn’t impressed with the stewards’ lack of action, stating that the clash has set a dangerous precedent for riders going forward.
He said: “I’m very disappointed. I don’t understand what the stewards panel is doing.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“I have really no words because one rider touched the other one, and both riders went out of track and they did not even put under investigation. It makes no sense.
“Apart from the [lack of] action, I’m a little bit worried because the message [they] are sending`to all the riders is that you can do whatever you want, you can touch [other] riders, you can go out of track and this is a very dangerous announcement.
“I still can’t believe it, really.”
A fraction of the MotoGP paddock has argued that the heavy reliance on aero has made it harder to overtake on current grand prix bikes, leaving riders with no option but to be more aggressive on track.
While Espargaro conceded that it has become harder to pass other bikes in MotoGP, that doesn’t mean two riders can go off track while battling with each other and still escape punishment.
“This is the result of the incompetence of the guys [stewards] doing this job,” said Espargaro, who is a close friend of Martin.
“[With the current] bikes it is difficult to overtake, but also in the past you can touch other riders and go out of track. You can do now and you can do 20 years ago.
“Is it hard to overtake? Yes, it’s hard to overtake. But if you touch another rider and both go out of track, it’s not about the bike.”
This is not the first time Espargaro has expressed his frustration over stewarding in MotoGP. Earlier this year, the 35-year-old said he was “surprised” both Bastianini and Pramac’s Franco Morbidelli were not penalised for clashing with him at Le Mans.