MotoGP: Time to address race direction

This season, the chairman of the MotoGP stewards panel has changed; the brand-new race management has been in place since the beginning of the year, and this is easily noticeable through the penalties handed out. Two-time 500cc champion Freddie Spencer has been replaced by former rider Simon Crafar, and, in my opinion, it's much better.

 

Exemplary regularity

 

The panel, during the Spencer era, was highly criticized by drivers. We remember, in particular, Johann Zarco's commentary at Jerez last year, which must not have pleased the Grand Prix legend. Crafar, who has taken over, makes a point of being consistent, something Spencer failed to do in the past. Previously, some drivers received penalties for actions that, at other times, were not punished. It was not going well at all, and this irregularity undermined the legitimacy of the arbitral body.. With Crafar, everything is much better, and I can now easily compare and understand the judgments of different clashes. As a spectator, this is the clarity we needed.

 

 

Simple example. In Hungary, Fabio Quartararo was penalized with a long lap for completely missing his braking at the start of the Sprint, thus compromising the race of Enea Bastianini, but also that of Marco BezzecchiIt was completely consistent with what Alex Marquez received in Qatar for pushing Di Giannantonio, and in Brno for knocking down Joan Mir. The long lap is becoming the benchmark, the basic rate for this type of action and I like that.

In addition to the exemplary regularity demonstrated by the Crafar administration, I find it very intelligent to judge the action, and not the outcome of the collision. I have already repeated, time and time again, that a driver should not be penalized more severely because the one he brought down was injured. He is responsible for the error on the track, for the excessive commitment, but not for the way in which his opponent hits the ground.

That's why I found the penalty given to Quartararo logical, who certainly didn't knock Bastianini down, but who asked too much in braking, like Alex Marquez in Brno – even though Mir himself fell. Honestly, bravo, because it's proof that Crafar and his men are fully invested in this mission. For the moment, this season, I have nothing to complain about on that side and that's nice, because A discipline as prestigious as MotoGP deserves competent referees., which has not always been the case.

 

The Bastianini case

 

Now comes the time to talk about Enea Bastianini's penalty. Even though we didn't get a clear look at the action, it seems undeniable that "Bestia" is solely responsible for Johann Zarco's fall. Moreover, the Frenchman wasn't kind to him in the press conference, claiming that it was his usual style. For this, Bastianini received a double long lap to be carried out the following day, a much more severe penalty than that reserved for "El Diablo." Yet the two excesses were comparable, weren't they? In fact, he was penalized in this way because it was the second time he had been called to order this season, after having caused problems at the start of the French Grand Prix. This was also clearly recalled in an article published on the official website. Bastianini was not at his first attempt, therefore, and his case becomes very difficult to defend. Hervé Poncharal spoke in the press, overwhelming the race direction, specifying that Bastianini was a victim of the first contact, and that he had, in fact, a problem of Ride Height Virgin, thus preventing it from stopping properly.

 

 

Three things: first, other drivers dismissed this excuse, believing that a malfunction of the device did not affect braking power. Second, Johann Zarco, the main victim, made it clear that getting hit on the first turn was not a reason for " unpin » to the next. Thirdly, indeed, Bastianini also eliminated himself, but once again, the stewards penalized the action, not the result of the action. I'm not talking about the images we have, absolutely without appeal. So, I personally found this action very well judged, but I can also understand Poncharal's anger, because his in-form driver did not score a single point on a weekend that was a priori favorable to him.

Marini vs Morbidelli, Assen remake?

 

Let's come to the last dispute of this weekend, namely, the small contact between Luca Marini and Franco Morbidelli. Approaching one of the chicanes, Marini was about to overtake Morbidelli, but Morbidelli refused to give up. So, Marini had to raise his grip a bit, and "Franky," unable to take the corner, cut the chicane. A few seconds later, he was ordered to give up the position. Many were unhappy with this decision, but again, in my opinion, it was the right one.

 

 

The argument of those who disagreed with the decision rests on Marini's position, which, indeed, is very wide, even seems to take Morbidelli with him – particularly visible in the video above. However, the other point of view, from the onboard camera with Marini, clearly shows that the latter is level with the Ducati VR46 rider when braking, and that Morbidelli leaves him absolutely no space. Thus, the braking of the Honda official is delayed, causing this widening. In addition, Morbidelli is no stranger to this, having done exactly the same thing at Assen against his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio.. There too, he had received the order to let his opponent pass.

 

Conclusion

 

I don't write these articles to flatter the race management, but simply to tell you the truth about this essential aspect of our sport. When things aren't going well, I say so, and I'll say it again. But here, It is clear that the FIM has made enormous progress in this area, and that they should also be congratulated when things go in the right direction.

Do you have the same reading as me regarding last weekend's clashes? Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport