During the Valencia Grand Prix, a video hit social networks. We see Valentino Rossi pushing with his foot a lady who is taking a selfie with a cane in the middle of one of the paddock alleys.
We did not wish to broadcast it until now because, although it clearly shows the questionable and unacceptable action of the Italian driver, it does not reflect the context, namely a crowded paddock and a crowd constantly running behind Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez.
Valentino Rossi apologized for his behavior: “I apologize to the lady, but as I said before, it becomes impossible to live in the paddock and especially at circuits like Cheste. There, there are really a lot of fans surrounding me and many of them chase me to take photos while others try to steal my cap. In these circumstances, they need to understand that things like this happen. »
The lady, Ana Cabanillas, nevertheless declared that she refused these apologies and was considering filing a complaint against the Italian pilot, which she will probably not do, given an injury probably more linked to her ego than to her physique...
Questioned on the subject by the press during a promotional operation organized by the Chinese cell phone manufacturer Zopo, Jorge Lorenzo did not condone the Doctor's action, but shared his point of view on the overcrowding of the paddock: “I don’t know why there are so many people in the paddock, Dorna has its reasons. In my opinion, the paddock is overcrowded and it is quite difficult for drivers to move around there. Personally, now, either I am in my box, or I am in my motor home. Before, I could be there (in the paddock) more to talk to friends, but now it's impossible, both for me and for the most famous drivers. One thing I would like to change is to prevent so many people from accessing the paddock, which is a bit inconvenient during the weekend.”
Let us point out that the subject is currently being debated, because if it is obvious that the paddock is very busy, especially on Saturday, this is due to people exclusively invited by the teams and sponsors, and who therefore have an importance in the proper functioning of the system.
Moreover, last weekend in Valencia, F1 organizers were present on site to learn lessons from the functioning of the MotoGP Grands Prix and try to find a solution to a completely deserted F1 paddock with no life...
It's up to everyone to find the right balance, but it's obvious that the Valencia paddock, the last event of the MotoGP season, is particularly busy and lively, particularly on Saturday which ends with numerous parties in the hospitalities...