Jorge Martin Dominates Chaotic Australia Sprint; Bezzecchi-Vinales Clash
Jorge Martin secures victory in a crash-filled MotoGP Sprint at Phillip Island. Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini complete the podium.
MotoGP Sprint races are always intense, but this year’s Australian GP at Phillip Island delivered even more drama than expected.
A high-speed crash involving Marco Bezzecchi and Maverick Vinales during the Sprint race at Doohan Corner sent shockwaves through the paddock, and the fallout from the incident hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Bezzecchi, who collided with Vinales while braking into the corner, voiced his frustration with how the aftermath unfolded – particularly with Vinales’ immediate post-crash reaction.
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“I didn’t like his behaviour immediately after the crash,” Bezzecchi remarked candidly, speaking about Vinales’ response while they were still in the gravel. The pair had gone down after Bezzecchi lost control while braking, crashing into the back of the Spaniard at a terrifying 140mph.
“If it was the other way around, I would go to check how the other rider is instead of showing the middle finger and saying ‘f***’ to me many times after we crash at 300km/h.”
What Bezzecchi seemed to find more upsetting than the crash itself was the attitude displayed by Vinales immediately after the impact.
While the Italian remained on the ground, seemingly injured and unable to move, Vinales, clearly angered, and raised his middle finger in frustration.
The tension between the two riders, already palpable after the collision, escalated further with this unfiltered display of emotion from Vinales.
The crash occurred as Vinales overtook Bezzecchi down the straight before they both approached Turn 1. Bezzecchi detailed how the crash unfolded:
“Yesterday was a strange situation. Maverick passed me on the straight with the slipstream…then my bike was moving to the left so to get back I had to lean the bike whilst still on the straight.”
“The wind was pushing me to the outside kerb. The problem was that as I did this Maverick put himself exactly in front of me under braking.”
According to Bezzecchi, Vinales’ braking pattern added to the complexity of the situation. “He braked early. You can see from the video that he braked, then released, then braked again. When you brake at the right point, you don’t release the brake.”
With no margin for error, and with the wind playing a role, Bezzecchi found himself caught in an unavoidable situation, as Vinales’ bike entered his path. “I was already moving to the right to avoid going on the outside kerb.”
“When I saw him, I tried to continue to go to the right but I got sucked by the slipstream. I couldn’t do anything to avoid the contact.”
Bezzecchi drew comparisons to other high-profile MotoGP incidents, pointing out that this wasn’t an entirely unique situation.
“Normally the guy behind is the one who [gets the blame]. But for example, last year in Qatar with Pecco and Fabio Di Giannantonio, and in Valencia with Martin and Pecco, it was completely the same.”
“Those situations were just another type of corner, a little bit slower, a little bit less windy, a little bit less Phillip Island style.”
Though the crash left both riders visibly shaken, Bezzecchi didn’t dwell on the penalty he received. “It’s a situation that could have happened often, but fortunately for the others, they were able to avoid disaster.”
“Anyway, what I didn’t really like was Maverick’s behaviour but as far as the penalty is concerned, I don’t care. I don’t complain. I did my long lap.”
