Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia thinks the lengthy lap penalty his MotoGP title rival Jorge Martin obtained for going off monitor and reducing a chicane within the Austrian Grand Prix dash was ‘not obligatory’.
Bagnaia and Martin have been engaged in a troublesome duel on the second lap at Spielberg when the Pramac rider couldn’t cease his bike in time and needed to go straight on the Flip 2 chicane, the place an escape street is rigorously laid out to permit riders to rejoin the monitor.
Though Martin did again off and provides technique to Bagnaia when he rejoined, he did not decelerate by a second as required by the rules, and was penalised with an extended lap penalty.
Because of this, the Spaniard misplaced his probability of battling for the win and completed the race nearly 5 seconds off the lead, whereas Bagnaia romped to his third dash win of 2024 to attract stage with him within the championship standings.
Martin has since referred to as for a evaluation of the lengthy lap penalty rule.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs
Talking afterwards, the two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia felt the stewards did play by the principles whereas issuing the penalty, but in addition emphasised that Martin had already misplaced time by going off monitor.
“Jorge made a mistake that value him all the things,” he mentioned. “[But] by reducing the best way he did he already misplaced time, so I do not assume the penalty was obligatory.
“However that is the best way the principles are, and it’s a must to observe them.”
Bagnaia revealed that he had tactfully braked aggressively into the right-left sequence that’s solely a part of the Purple Bull Ring’s MotoGP format, realizing that Martin would run extensive in an try to remain forward of him.
TV photos confirmed the rear wheel of the Pramac Ducati going up within the air in a half-stoppie because the Spaniard desperately tried to get the bike stopped in his failed try and make the nook.
“He exited nicely from nook 1, I exited tremendous good [as well],” he defined. “So I simply determined to go on the skin after which I mentioned, ‘now I’ll brake like a qualifying. If he wish to brake like me, he’ll go extensive, completely, for certain’. He did it and he was extensive.
“For certain if you lower the chicane you’re already dropping time however the guidelines are guidelines, it’s a must to give again one second and he did not.
“From that second I simply determined to grasp all the things in regards to the race completely. I simply determined to go extra clean as doable to arrange the race for tomorrow.
“Now we have already scored three victories within the dash and that is essential, as a result of Martin is definitely quicker than me in that side.”
