Raging Johann Zarco at Catalunya MotoGP: Enea Bastianini tried to be “a hero” - crash could’ve been “tragic”
A pile-up on the first lap was triggered by the factory Ducati rider who was star🍸ting from 14th due to a three-place grid pen🐟alty.
His attempt to make up several positions resulted i☂n a massive pil💟e-up including Zarco, Alex Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Giananantonio.
Separately, but moments later, was the far more serious-looking collision between the floored Francesco Bagnaia and the ꧋oncoming Brad Binder.
Pramac Rac🎀ing rider Zarco reflected on the first-lap chaos: “I tried to control the first corner, to not hit Binder or Oliveira.
“I got hit by Bastianini. [Saturday], als𝓀o. I didn’t go into the corner because Bastianini was com🥃ing.
“He was lucky that I didn’t go into the corner yes⛎terday. Today, I was, when he a♛rrived.
“He tried to gain mo꧅re than sixꦏ positions at the start. This can happen, sometimes.
“You a🧔re a hero when it happens. But, most of the time, it⛦ can be tragic.
“Fortunately, there was a red flag. Not because of our multi-crash, but becau📖se of the crash of Pecco.”
Zarco was asked why the ꧒Barcelona circuit can become a hotspot for big accidents.
“Because there is always📖 someone who switches too much,” he claimed.
“Last year it was Taka𝔉akiꦺ Nakagami, this year it was Bastianini.
“Maybe it𝓰 can happen because the first turn is tight. 🐬But not so tight…”
Zarco insisted that any set-up changes or tweaks made for the trac♔k are no excuse for riders to pass recklessly.
“This informationౠ, the riders must know it and take it into consideration,” he sa♏id.
“But, some of ♒them♏ don’t take it into consideration.
“I know many things can happen at the first turn, at the start, the m🌠oment where you can gain the most positions.
“We need to accept that it’s not a great weekend. To gain three posꦛitions or💫 six positions, okay, this can change your race.
“But it can become a disaster.
“It’s more the riders that ne✃ed to control a bit.&✤nbsp;
“I’m like the old man sꦐpeaking, thatღ we should control ourselves!
“People say you miss your start or lose posꦬition. But I accept it, and try to come back.”
Bastianini was hit🐠 with a double long lap penalty for the manoeuvre which enraged Zarco.
But he couldn’t ꦯrestart due to🙈 injuries sustained in the pile-up so must serve the penalty whenever he returns.
Zarco reacted to Bas🌄tianini’s punishment: “It’s hard to say which penalty we should get.
“A long lap penalty here destroys your race because, in Barcelona, it’s li꧋ke goin𓄧g to see the cathedral then coming back!”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a deꦆcade covering everythi꧂ng from American sports, to football, to F1.
