Loris Reggiani was born in Forli, like Andrea Dovizioso. He competed in his first Grand Prix in 125 cc in 3 and the last in 1980 in 500. In 1995 Grands Prix, he won eight victories and reached 158 podiums. He remained famous for having raced in the 41 on the twin-cylinder Aprilia, an agile and light machine, but less powerful than the competition.
Loris has always been a discreet boy, not very exuberant even if he was a very popular commentator in Italy. He gave his views to Serena Zunino for Insella.it, in a long interview of which here are some excerpts.
How do you think Marquez overtook Rossi?
“There is no malice in the maneuver of Marquez, he didn't want to throw away Red down. What is certain is that Marquez's entire run in Argentina was exaggerated. Marquez does this often. In Argentina, unfortunately for him, there were also circuit-related problems, meaning if you pushed a driver off the line and he ended up in the wet, he lost too much time. I think, however, that Marquez on Sunday was completely out of control. I don't think everything was calculated. »
On the other hand, “I would give a big penalty to the Race Direction, for letting a driver go who doesn't care about the regulations and a marshal trying to take him off the grid. Marquez lined up and the race started, then they waited 3 laps before giving him a ride through… An attitude that made him even more nervous. »
“From my point of view, Marquez continually allows himself to do certain types of passes simply because they have always let him. Not only now, but also in the past, like in 2015 when – in my opinion – he deliberately made Rossi lose the World Cup and no one ever said anything. Plus, he's lucky that every time he falls, he doesn't do anything to himself, and that's on top of everything else. »
What do you think Race Direction should do in this case?
“After such behavior you should give him an exemplary penalty, such as not making him race the next race or two, as is the case in Formula 1 and football. A nice and heavy disqualification which brings him back into the ranks a little. »
Marquez said he lost the front end in a wet spot.
“That's what he said, but he was going at a very fast pace... He probably lost it in almost every corner with that pace. These are racing contacts that can happen, but one in a race, not four, five or six, otherwise it means you are out of bounds, you are not in control. »
So, in conclusion, in a word, the Argentina race?
“It’s been a ridiculous ride. It looked like a John Landis film. From a certain point of view, it was funny, starting with the inability of the Race Direction to make a firm decision when necessary, to seeing Uccio dismiss Marquez. »
Why is there so much aggression in the world of MotoGP today?
“The level of aggression has increased a little since the riders who participate in the World Championship come from Minimoto. If you go watch these races, the kids are always kicking, they're always overtaking that way, so they're learning to run that way.
“Then, with the increase in displacement and weight, things become more dangerous, it's no longer the same thing to fall or to have contact. But now the driver has learned to race in a certain way and is less afraid of contact, obviously compared to a driver of my generation. »
Photos © Joitv and Aprilia
