MotoGP fans are arguing over the Mandalika sprint crash on Saturday, but the facts show Marco Bezzecchi was right. The Italian rider claims Raul Fernandez has nothing to be angry about after their first-corner collision. Bezzecchi called it a racing incident, while Fernandez feels the move was unprofessional. The track saw two Aprilia riders go down, ending any chance of a team victory in that heat.
The Crash Was Inevitable
The incident happened at the opening corner of the sprint race on Saturday. Bezzecchi was the first rider to fall, and his factory Aprilia hit Fernandez’s Trackhouse entry. Both men started at the front of the grid, with Fernandez on pole. High emotions were expected given their positions and the pressure to win. Bezzecchi said he was just trying to find the best spot for the brakes. He knew Marc Marquez was coming on his inside and did not want to force a bad move.
Bezzecchi went on to suggest that Fernandez, who was on his outside, had touched him. “If Raul is angry, I’m sorry, but honestly, he touched me. So at the end, there’s nothing to be angry for.” He explained that neither rider could vanish from the track. “Me versus him or him versus me… in the end, it’s a race incident. I couldn’t disappear and he also couldn’t disappear.” This logic holds up when you look at the tight pack of bikes at the start.
Why Fernandez Is So Mad
Despite the logic, Fernandez is furious. He suffered a fractured finger and is unsure if he can race on Sunday. The Spaniard launched an attack in the media, calling Bezzecchi’s actions unprofessional. “The worst thing is the frustration of knowing that Marco did something he shouldn’t have done,” Fernandez said, according to Motorsport.com. He believes Bezzecchi focused only on getting ahead and ignored the risk to both of them. “Marco wanted to get to that braking zone ahead of me, and that was all he was focused on, without thinking that we weren’t racing on our own.”
Bezzecchi dismissed the anger as a normal reaction to a bad moment. He noted that riders often say things they regret when they are upset. “It’s normal to make some kind of reaction when you are angry, that maybe in a normal moment you [wouldn’t do]. I am maybe the one that can confirm this more than anyone!” Bezzecchi remains focused on the main race on Sunday, noting that the team did good work until the crash.
The Real Cost of the Clash
The damage goes beyond just two riders crashing. Both were favorites to win, and their loss leaves the door open for the Ducati riders to take the lead. Bezzecchi admitted he is sad because the team worked hard before the crash. “I am sad because we made a good job till one and a half an hours ago.” But he refuses to waste energy on the fight. He wants to focus on the race tomorrow. The clash was a chain reaction that no one could fully control, and the anger will fade as the season moves on.
