Álex Márquez is still not doing well in 2023. After signing a great classification in which he achieved the third best time to accompany his brother Marc Márquez and Pecco Bagnaia on the first starting line in Mugellothe sprint race of the Italian Grand Prix He ruined all his plans.
Hopes of getting on the podium, or even fighting for victory, were dashed at the first corner. The man from Cervera drew the turn on the outside to get out faster than his rivals, but when he was preparing to accelerate, Brad Binder touched him, causing Álex to fall.
The stewards investigated the action and quickly made the decision to impose a ‘long lap penalty‘, something that clashes with the criteria that they had maintained since the beginning of the season, which established that shooting a driver entailed a double ‘long lap’.
This decision is especially striking considering that in the French Grand Prix they imposed three penalty posts Álex Márquez on the grid for taking Binder himself off the track, which meant a much greater damage to the Catalan than the action of the South African, despite the fact that the action at Le Mans had much lesser consequences.
At the end of the race, Márquez did not hesitate to criticize the race direction decision. “They have once again shown that they do not have much idea and that they do a little as they see fit at all timesand without looking at other actions, which I think would be fair, to compare other actions and from there impose the same penalties”, said Márquez in statements to ‘DAZN’.
For the man from Cervera, the inconsistency in the sanctions undermines the credibility of the stewards: “When I went to the Race Direction at Le Mans, that I touched him, it is true, but he did not fall at any time and I did not ruin his career, They told me that if I had not fallen they would have given me a Long Lap Penalty. If you see where the other driver ended up, that’s why I don’t think it’s fairlike others that have occurred during the race”.
In the long race on Sunday, Márquez will once again start in third position, and seeing the rhythm of the ducatiwho have taken the first five positions, ensures that the objective is to climb the drawer.
“Being on the podium I think tomorrow is possible. It will also depend a lot on the output. It has been seen today that it is difficult to overtake, because in the end when there are so many Ducati in front it becomes difficult, because they all run the same. If we get a good start and first lap, and we’re aggressive, it can be a positive. I think we have the pace, not to fight with Pecco Bagnaia, but to fight for the podium”, said Álex Márquez to conclude.
