Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia says he was ‘probably’ unfit to continue racing in the Catalan Grand Prix after crashing at the first race restart. Bagnaia was involved in the incident that saw Johann Zarco hospitalised.
Bagnaia, Zarco and Luca Marini came together at turn one, immediately causing another red flag. The Italian duo took the second restart, but Zarco injured his leg and knee and required medical attention.
Bagnaia would go on to score his first Grand Prix podium of the year after Marini’s teammate Joan Mir lost P2 due to a tyre-pressure penalty. But speaking to outlets including Speedweek, he admitted that he didn’t ‘deserve’ that result.
Should tyre pressure penalties be scrapped from MotoGP?
Mir has been handed a 16-second penalty and drops off the podium
Francesco Bagnaia ‘had to slow’ down at Catalan Grand Prix due to dizziness
Three laps after the final race start, Bagnaia ‘started feeling dizzy’ when he was braking. He had to slow down in order to make the chequered flag.
Doctors told him the dizziness stemmed from the impact on his neck when he crashed with Zarco and Marini. While he ‘didn’t cause any major problems’ for his fellow riders, he admits he was ‘probably’ unfit.
The Ducati factory team had failed to score a point in the last two Sunday races and were solely reliant on Bagnaia in Barcelona after Marc Marquez withdrew through injury.
“I probably wasn’t able to race,” the two-time MotoGP champion said. “After three laps, I started feeling dizzy on the bike. I realised that I would get dizzy every time I braked, so I had to slow down.
Was it right to restart the Catalan GP after two big accidents?
“I didn’t cause any major problems, though, so it turned out alright. I persevered until the last lap, and when I came back to the pits, I felt sick.
“My wrist was x-rayed. I was told my dizziness was coming from my neck.
“I don’t feel like I deserved this third place. My problems aren’t important today!”
Pecco Bagnaia: I hope riders start attending safety meetings now
Before the race, Bagnaia had complained about the poor attendance at the safety commission. Only two other riders were present at Le Mans – Marini and Jack Miller.
After the shock of the Zarco and Alex Marquez incidents, Bagnaia is hoping his fellow riders are more engaged with safety issues going forward.
- READ MORE: Alex Marquez’s Catalan Grand Prix crash forces Liberty Media to rethink their MotoGP plans
Both Marquez and Zarco posted on social media on Sunday evening but there’s an acknowledgement that the outcome could have been a lot worse.
Pedro Acosta says it was inappropriate to restart the race for a second time, and Bagnaia agrees.
“There were several questionable situations this weekend, so I hope everyone will be at the next meeting,” he said, via Motosprint. “The third start was forced.
“No one is forced to race: everyone is aware and makes their own decisions. You’re paid a lot of money and have a lot of sponsors, it’s right to respect your work.”
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