Honda boss Alberto Puig leaps to Marc Marquez defence: “Impossible to avoid” crash
The Repsol Honda rider 🎀wil꧒l miss the Argentina MotoGP after hand surgery caused by the crash in Portimao, and must face a double long lap penalty upon his comeback.
Injured Oliveira will also miss Argentina after both he and Jorge Martin had their races ruined by an 🧸error that Marquez has admitted to, and apologised for.
Team manager Puig now says: “His intention was not to overtake. His front wheel locked. After he𒅌 released the brake? When yo🅠ur front wheel locks, the bike exits like a rocket.
“He was using hard tyres w𝐆hich probably weren’t at the temperature, they needed one more lap. This is🍨 probably the reason for the locking.
“He wasn’t trying to overta🧜ke. He wasn’t at the limit. He was feeling comfortable. The bike was good.
“But, you k♛now? All the riders were really, really together. It was෴ impossible for him to avoid the crash.
“We are sorry for the 🍨incident. We hope Oliveira is ♏good.
“Of course, nobody plans these things. We are s🔯orry.”
Pramac Racing rider Mar𒐪tin, who was contacted by Marquez before the Honda rider then clattered into Oliveira, was not so forgiving.
“It’s not the first🦋 time he has destroyed my race,” Martin raged. “Maybe in the future he can manage to avoid me. Or Race Direction can do something.🐎”
Oliveira s꧟aid about Marquez: “He braked too late, maybe too optimistic a♊bout making the pass.”
Aleix Espargaro called for Marquez to fac⛎e a ban of at least one race for causing the crash.
James was a sports jo🧜urnalistꦦ at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
