The horror accident on the approach to Turn 3 between Johann Zarco (Avintia Ducati) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha) in the early stages of the MotoGP race at the red Bull Ring caused shock moments as well as many irritated fans and perplexed observers on Sunday.
Aprilia star Aleix Espargaró got emotional after seeing the pictures: “You can’t imagine how difficult it is to brake this darn bend up there at 300 km / h with so much contact pressure. The motorcycle moves and wobbles, sometimes you have slipstream, sometimes not, sometimes you have contact pressure and then again not. Sometimes you have almost no brakes. But once more it’s Zarco again, it’s always Zarco. It is important that nothing happened. I was right behind Valentino at that point. If this bike had hit Valentino, it could have been one of the worst days in MotoGP history. “
As a reminder: Zarco fabricated a collision with Red Bull KTM star Pol Espargaró in Brno. The impulsive Catalan therefore does not accept expressions of innocence and apologies, such as those from Zarco. “Yes, it is very difficult to take this position in a group, to avoid contact with other riders and to brake the bike. But knowing that, you just have to be more careful. Then you can’t go over the limit. Some people in this paddock are dangerous. You can of course also be aggressive, yes. But in such dangerous places you have to think 80 percent of yourself and 20 percent of the other driver. “
Indirectly in the direction of Johann Zarco, the older of the Espargaro brothers says: “Why do we have to take a 99 percent risk there. Why – that is my question! If it is a super dangerous place and you are not sure, then wait for the next one Lap. What’s the problem? There is no problem! There are still 25 laps to drive. It’s always the same, always at the limit, always close to the limit at 340 km / h and then something happens.
Then Espargaró said: “When you’re alone on the slopes, the wings help at a point like before turn 3. Three or four years ago we had wild chattering there without the wing and the bike almost collapsed at the front, that’s gone now . But if you follow a driver, the wings create turbulence. It’s a very dangerous place. We talked about it in the Safety Commission. We were unlucky because it was shown how dangerous the slope is. But we were also very lucky that nothing happened. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be changed. “
Regarding his approach for the coming weekend, the 31-year-old Soanioer said: “I will do my best and work with my head. I give everything, I risk everything, but I can’t go any faster. I can’t do any more, I can’t drive faster. “
Results MotoGP Spielberg, 16. August
1. Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati, 28 Runden
2. Joan Mir, Suzuki, +1,377 sec
3. Jack Miller, Ducati, +1,549
4. Brad Binder, KTM, +5,526
5. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, +5.837
6. Takaaki Nakagami, Honda, +6,403
7. Danilo Petrucci, Ducati, +12,498
8. Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha, +12.534
9. Iker Lecuona, KTM, +14,117
10. Maverick Viñales, Yamaha, +15,276
11. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, +17,772
12. Michele Pirro, Ducati, +23.271
13. Bradley Smith, Aprilia, +24,868
14. Alex Marquez, Honda, +24,943
15. Cal Crutchlow, Honda, +27,435
16. Tito Rabat, Ducati, +28,502
17. Stefan Bradl, Honda, +28,609
World Championship stand after 4 of 14 races:
1. Quartararo, 67 Punkte. 2. Dovizioso 56. 3. Viñales 48. 4. Binder 41. 5. Rossi 38. 6. Nakagami 37. 7. Miller 36. 8. Morbidelli 31. 9. Mir 31. 10. Zarco 28. 11. Petrucci 20. 12. Rins 19. 13. Pol Espargaró 19. 14. Oliveira 18. 13. Alex Márquez 15. 16. Aleix Espargaró 11. 17. Bagnaia 9. 18. Smith 8. 19. Lecuona 7. 20. 17. Rabat 7. 21. Crutchlow 7. 22. Pirro 4.
Constructors’ Championship after 4 of 14 races:
1. Yamaha 81. 2. Ducati 67. 3. KTM 57. 4. Suzuki 44. 5. Honda 37. 6. Aprilia 16.
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