Aleix Espargaro worry over injuries after Portuguese MotoGP: “This is not a war, we can’t continue like this”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Marc Marquez, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Enea Bastianini and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Pol Espargaro are all ruled out of next weekend’s Argentina MotoGP, the second round of the 2023 sea♕son, after picking up injuries on each of the three days of action at Portimao.
The ne♏w format, featuring a sprinཧt race on Saturday at each round, has been mentioned as increasing the risks for riders and, after the season-opener, the weekend was defined by its accidents.
“We have a lot o🎐f 🔯riders in hospital,” the Aprilia rider said. “We cannot continue like this.
“This isn’t about Race𒁏 Direction or media. This is about us - th🌄e riders.
“On the last lap you can be aggressive, touch another [ride♔r], it’s okay.
“But come on, it’s race one and we have four ri✨ders 𒉰in hospital!”
Espargaro suggested that some riders were taking too many risks: “I don’t want to hit anybody,ꦗ touch anybody. It’s not how I see this sport. If there is no space, then there is no space.
“[On Sund💝ay] I had the speed of the podium b🙈ut I finished ninth.
“I couldn’t overtake because I don’t want to put anybody in hosp๊ital.
“I cannot control them. I’m not the best guy in the world. I can be aggressive as well. But there is a limit. I know where the limit 🧸is, but 80% of the grid doesn’t know.
“We always ha🌱d aggression in MotoGP but I want to see the fastest rider win. I like Francesco Bagnaia - a cl♔ean rider. We have to race like this.”
Espargaro had previously claimed that Marquezꦰ should receive at least a one-race ban for his error which led to a collision with Miguel Oliveira.
Marquez was punished by a double long lap penalty in Argentina next weekend which is now irrelevant because he will miss the race after successful surgery on a hand injury picked up during the i⛄ncident. Oliveira escaped with a minor leg problem. Jorge Martin has toe and ankle knocks after contact caused by Marquez.
On Saturday in the sprint, factory Ducati rider Bastianini broke a shoulder blade after being knocked down 🍬by Luca Marini.
And on 🉐Fr🐬iday, Espargaro’s brother had a scary high-speed fall in practice. He has injuries to his jaw and lung.
Espargaro was asked by BT Sport if the new format had contributಞed to the spate of injuries: “This is a very good question. I don’t have the solution.
“When ཧwe get used to the new format e🦂verything will be more relaxed.
“Us, the riders, we need to rethink this w🎉eek. All of us, we need to relax.
“We cannot continue like this. This is not a ꦉwar, this is racing.
“We cannot touch each other at every corner of every GP because we will have a lot of injuries. This💮 sport isn’t about this.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to ✃football, to F1.
