The Spanish channel Movistar published a previously unpublished video summary on its MotoGP Twitter account under the title “Timeline of chaos at Termas de Rio Hondo”.
Far from the controversies that followed, the images illustrate how complicated the situation was for the drivers and their technicians: having to make the decision to use slick tires with a track that was still wet was anything but easy, especially since the The situation was changing from second to second.
This 2 minute video, which you unfortunately cannot see for commercial reasons, can nevertheless be broken down in the following chronological way.
At 14:45 p.m., we first discovered that Franco Morbidelli is the 2nd driver to have taken the gamble of starting on slicks, even if it meant having to return to his box directly after the formation lap to make the change, which, if the situation had not transformed in an unprecedented way, he would have worth a start from last position.
A minute later, Andrea Dovizioso mentions the option of going on slicks: “there may be an option to go dry with slicks”.
Two minutes later, it's the turn ofAlex Espargaro to worry about the track drying: “the problem is that it’s very hot now. Look at the straight line, it was completely wet and it’s already dry.”
At the same time, Maverick Vinales Ramon Forcada asks if he is going to start on slicks, but he is told that this would result in a start from the pit lane: “shall we go with the slicks?
– If you do this now, you have to start from the pit lane…
– But it’s dry! »
At 14:50 p.m., Andrea Iannone et Alvaro Bautista have made their decision and decide to move into the pit lane.
At 14:51 p.m., it’s the turn of Espargaro Pol to start running then, at 14:52 p.m., there is general commotion with Marc Márquez, Cal Crutchlow, Maverick Vinales, Bradley Smith, etc.
Jorge Lorenzo does not move but Gigi Dall'Igna apparently orders him to return, which does not seem to delight the Majorcan...
At 14:52 p.m., the first drivers began to line up at the exit of the pit lane on slick tires alongside Franco Morbidelli, before, a minute later, they were informed that the start had been postponed.
From then on, they have no choice but to get off their machine and push it to their box.
The team managers are then informed of the situation.
While we are preparing the new starting grid, we can hear Lynn Jarvis rightly declare that the pit lane would have been equivalent to a 15 second penalty (10 seconds after the last pass + acceleration), an advantage for Jack Miller that the new grid is quite incapable of preserving:
“How far away is Miller?” If they started from the pit lane, they would be 15 seconds late.
– Yes, 10 seconds after the last driver has passed.
– 10 seconds is a lot more than 40 meters.”
Then the video ends with Marc Marquez's engine stalling at 15:20 p.m. and the protest of Maverick Vinales when the Honda driver returns to the grid instead of being evacuated into the pit lane to start last.
Unusual image, we also see that the usually discreet Dani Pedrosa is very angry at this leniency concerning his teammate when he himself was taken out in Misano…
These are therefore strong and powerful images that Movistar has put online, completely commensurate with a very exceptional situation that we have not finished hearing about... probably starting on Thursday in Austin.
