The pileup at the start of the San Marino Grand Prix which marked the fourteenth stage of this MotoGP season in Misano was classified as a racing incident and everyone emerged unscathed. That being said, when we see the images of the event, we say to ourselves that we still came close to tragedy. The protagonists explain, starting with our Johann Zarco, virilely erased from the inside of the first corner by Brad Binder…
It is the closed face, the clenched jaw and the black eye that Johann zarco explained his mishap at the first turn to Misano : “ I think it was Brad Binder given the color of the bike but it passed very quickly on the inside of the first corner ". The Frenchman adds this comparison which says a lot about his feelings about this accident: “ he really arrived in a bit of Nakagami style from Barcelona and he hooked me. Suddenly I fell and I took Pol Espargaró and Pirro with me. ". And he is sure of his right: “ I was completely on the rope of the turn and I was hooked. Whatever departure we make, there is no reason to get hung up like that. When there is no room for one more motorbike, well there is a clash… ».
Indeed, the spark was ignited by the South African Brad Binder which affected the Ducati GP22 of the French rider who started from sixth position on the grid. The KTM rider started from the fifth row, arrived very close to the apex of turn 1 and pinched the handlebars of the Desmosedici GP of John Zarco. He comments: “ it was a mess. I went inside. When Zarco turned he was very close. I think he was hit in the middle. I'm sorry if it's my fault. I felt something on my left boot. I may have touched his wing. It was probably enough to knock off the front wheel. ».
Misano accident: “ it looks like Brad Binder was aggressive in the first corner then touched Zarco »
Contact between the two pilots MotoGP triggered a domino effect that also involved the Ducati test rider Michele Pirro. " I crashed in the first corner due to contact with Zarco », explained with annoyance the Italian who was transferred to the medical center for investigations. Fortunately, the ankle x-ray ruled out fractures.
Et Pol Espargaro whose hand was so feared that he gripped it when he got up from his caper, what does he think? He is lenient with Brad Binder: “ Tomorrow I will certainly be in pain, but the day after that it will be better. It's important that I can pass the tests because I have a lot of things to sort out in my head » says the Spaniard who is having a bad time at Honda.
Aleix’s brother adds: “ it looks like Brad Binder was aggressive in the first corner and then hit Zarco, who collided with Pirro and Pirro with me. This can happen in the first round and I don't think there was anything strange ". An analysis endorsed by the commissioners who qualified the episode as a racing accident and there are therefore no penalties.
