MotoGP stars Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez have criticised riders slowing down in qualifying to place themselves behind quicker bikes, saying it might result in “harmful” conditions.
The controversy over towing in MotoGP was reignited on Saturday at Silverstone as various riders ran in a bunch on their second runs in an effort to achieve an aerodynamic benefit on the circuit’s three lengthy straights.
Whereas slipstreaming in itself doesn’t essentially pose a security challenge, qualifying for the British Grand Prix noticed many riders get all the way down to crawling speeds to permit their rivals to get via, earlier than selecting up the velocity and latching behind them.
This led to some weird scenes because the clock ticked all the way down to zero, with Aprilia’s Espargaro making the most of the state of affairs to say his first pole of the 12 months, having managed to get a clear lap with out anybody working near him.
Reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia was the primary to specific his frustration with the best way the grid-deciding session was held at Silverstone, saying nothing will change till the rulemakers intervene.
Regardless of benefitting from Bagnaia’s troubles, Espargaro joined the Italian in slamming riders for making a “ridiculous” downside in qualifying, whereas warning concerning the risks related to slowing down unnecessarily on observe.
The poleman stated: “In qualifying you possibly can take two dangers. The primary one is to exit [as the] first one [on track] as a result of everyone goes to comply with you, you’re within the combine with everyone.
“Or the second is to attend [and] go final, however then if there’s a yellow flag you smash your lap.
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Crew
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
“I took the second. I do not prefer to go behind others. I prefer to go on my own.
“I agree with Pecco. For me it’s ridiculous that riders are ready within the storage on a regular basis for a tow.
“It is ridiculous to see 5, six riders – and it is at all times the identical riders – in the course of the observe which are ready for the others [while being] utterly stopped.
“You set additionally [your rivals] in peril as a result of the others do not need to push or the tyres get chilly and it is harmful.
“However they will do it, the principles enable them to do it. So that is racing, however like Pecco for me it is ridiculous.”
Six-time champion Marquez adopted Bagnaia on his first run in qualifying and set a lap that provisionally put him fifth on the grid after a troublesome Friday at Silverstone.
Nevertheless, on his remaining flying try, the Gresini rider bought caught behind the slower VR46 bikes of Fabio di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi and failed to enhance on his earlier effort, dropping to seventh on the grid.
Regardless of attempting to achieve a bonus himself, Marquez additionally wasn’t too happy with the best way qualifying panned out. However he additionally believes that switching to the superpole format – the place all riders take turns in setting their quickest laps – will adversely have an effect on the present.
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
“Racing was and will likely be like this if they do not change the qualifying follow they usually put [something] like a superpole,” he stated.
“However as we’ve got seen prior to now, the superpole is boring. I haven’t got something in opposition to it however [World] Superbikes was like one-by-one [in qualifying] and the present was not there.
“However in the long run, whenever you comply with some bike, you achieve some issues and [lose] different issues.
“As we noticed right this moment within the second run, everyone in Q2 was ready for the quickest guys.”
One concept that has been pitched includes setting a most time restrict for every sector, which might stop riders from slowing down an excessive amount of on observe in qualifying.
Nevertheless, Marquez doesn’t suppose it will totally clear up the issue, as riders will merely sit within the pits and anticipate quicker bikes to exit on observe.
“You may change however then the technique will likely be within the pitlane, like in Moto3 proper now,” he stated.
“You may change the sectors, however then the technique will likely be within the pitlane. Ultimately you might have totally different methods to do it.
“This GP is the primary one which I am searching for a slipstream. I want to not do it, like I did prior to now races, however the guidelines are the principles and I am not the man to resolve.”
