MotoGP VIDEO – Assen J1, Morbidelli receives a 3-place penalty for impeding Bastianini: “It happens all the time with Franco,” who calls for help over the radio!

Franco Morbidelli will start the Dutch Grand Prix with a handicap. The FIM MotoGP stewards handed the VR46 rider a three-place grid penalty after an incident during practice at Assen, where Enea Bastianini was impeded on a flying lap.

The incident occurred in the fast Turn 12. As he was returning to the pits at reduced speed, Morbidely remained on the ideal trajectory at the moment when bastianini was approaching at full acceleration. The pilot Tech3 was forced to widen his trajectory, even slightly biting onto the grass to avoid contact, thus ruining his timed attempt.

Visibly annoyed, bastianini he did not hide his exasperation. Yes, he was right in the middle of the ideal trajectory, that's all. Naturally, I'm not happy. It always happens with Franco. He's driving in the middle of the track when someone comes up behind himWhat can I say? That's just how he does things. »

The commissioners quickly determined that Morbidely had impeded a driver on a fast lap and were given a three-place grid penalty for Sunday's race. The Italian-Brazilian driver did not contest the decision. He immediately apologized while highlighting what he considers a weakness in the current system of the MotoGP.

Morbidelli: “ Sorry, the radio will avoid that »

« I'm so sorry about what happened! I was heading back to the pits and I received no signal indicating that Bestia was arriving… It’s certain that with radio messages, this kind of situation will be much less frequent. I'm mostly happy that nothing serious happened to me, Bestia, or the other drivers! That's the most important thing! »

This statement goes beyond the simple context of the Assen incident. Morbidely This directly refers to the future radio communication system between race control and the riders, currently being deployed in MotoGP. The goal is to transmit real-time safety information, particularly when a rider is traveling slowly on the racing line or when another is approaching at full speed.

The issue continues to divide the paddock. Some drivers fear information overload or a loss of concentration, while others believe these messages could prevent potentially dangerous situations like the one experienced on Friday at Assen.

Ironically, Morbidely He now finds himself at the heart of the debate. Penalized for impeding a competitor, he is also the first to assert that this penalty perfectly illustrates why MotoGP is moving towards radio assistance. In his view, the problem is not just an individual error, but also the absence of a system capable of instantly warning a rider that a machine traveling at full speed is approaching from behind.