MotoGP Sachsenring: Nakagami apologises to Bagnaia, Rins: ‘I appreciate being alive’

Returning to the paddock for the first time since triggering a nasty turn one accident at the Catalunya MotoGP, Takaaki Nakagami sought out Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Rins for a face-to-face apology.
Alex Rins and Takaaki Nakagami after crashing out, Catalunya MotoGP. 5 July
Alex Rins and Takaaki Nakagami after crashing out, Catalunya MotoGP. 5 July

Nakagami explained that he had been caught out by the sl🌟ipstream behind Bagnaia, causing him to lose control under braking.

After falling, Nakagami’s helmet struck the Italian’s rear wheel with such force that it knocked the Ducati rider down, w🤡hile Rins was taken out by Nakagami♐’s sliding Honda.

The FIM Stewards declared it a ‘racing incident’ - something a number of riders disagreed with - but Nakagami, who spent t🎃he night in hospital but has been passed fit to ride at the Sachsenring tomorrow, felt it was important to 🤡apologise for ‘destroying their races’ and leaving Rins with a broken wrist.

“I’m still not 100% recovered, but it’s just been confirmed that I’m fit to ride this weekend and thi💫s is a miracle after that accident,” Nakagaꦯmi said.

“This mornin൩g I apologised to Pecco and Alex, becaus⛄e after the race I had no chance to meet them because I was in hospital. For me it's really important to apologise face to face.

“I explained that it was a totally my mistake and I apo༒lo🔜gised because I destroyed their races.”

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Recalling what had happened going i🍰nto turn one, Nakagami, who had made a strong start from twelfth, sa💞id: “I didn't make any mistake on the braking point. The braking point was totally under control, but unfortunately I had quite a big slipstream behind Pecco that I didn't expect and then at the end I couldn't stop well.

“I couldn't avoid the c🌼rash. At the last moment I tried to stop the bike, but it was impossible. I locked the front, then I hit Pecco and Alex.

“So it was a nasty crash, of course, and at the end this is my mistake. So I explained everything, that it was my mistake, they accepted the apology and we shook hands. So that's it𒆙.”

Nakagami added that he would have accepted a penalty from the Stewards, who declined to punish the #30 on the grounds that he had braked '168澳🤪洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:at a similar time to the riders arou𓃲nd him'.

“If I💖 would get the penalty, I couldn't say anything 💟because it was my mistake,” he said.

“At the end the race stewards decided it was a race accident… Unfortunately I destr🐬oyed two riders’ races. If they changed their mind and I would get a penalty, of course I would have accepted it.”

“The accident was from my mistake and I was not alone [on track] so I hit Pecco and Alex, and he got the injury.ও I'm really, reallyꦕ sorry for him.”

Takaaki Nakagami after crash, Catalunya MotoGP. 5 July
Takaaki Nakagami after crash, Catalunya MotoGP. 5 July

Takaaki Nakagami: ‘I really appreciate being alive’

Fortunately for Nakagami, his Arai helmet soaked up much of the brutal impa🐓ct with Bagnaia’s rear wheel.

“This morning I saw my helmet. It's really, really bad. I really, really, appreciate [being] alive because they [Arai] saved my life. And also I totally remember eve🧸rything. So yeah, it was super nasty, but the Arai helmet helped a lot.”

While he es🍌caped any serious head injuries an🍌d fractures, Nakagami will be riding sore this weekend in Germany.

“The shoulder🌊 is still really bad, I have no injury, no fracture, but a lot of inflammatio♏n and some liquid inside the joint,” he said. “I don't know if the riding position is comfortable or not.

“But this track has only two hard brakiꦰng points, turn 1 and after the𝔍 downhill, all the rest it's quite easy from the physical side.”

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