Vinales and Bezzecchi’s Australian GP Clash: A Detailed Look into the Sprint Race Incident and Aftermath

Vinales Discusses Clash with Bezzecchi: 'Stewards Seem to Get It'

Aprilia Competitor Shares Perspective on Frightening Australian MotoGP Sprint Collision

A bruised Maverick Vinales has communicated with MotoGP's officials regarding his collision during the Australian Grand Prix sprint race with Marco Bezzecchi, expressing his belief that they grasp the situation.

Vinales, starting from the third position on the front row, overtook Bezzecchi for the fifth position just before reaching the braking area of Turn 1 at Phillip Island, during the second-to-last lap of the sprint race.

Sign up for our MotoGP Newsletter

Receive the most recent updates, exclusive content, one-on-one conversations, and special offers from the racing circuit directly in your email.

For additional details, please refer to our Privacy Policy

Bezzecchi seemed unable to halt his momentum while braking for Turn 1, resulting in a frightening moment as he collided with the back of the Aprilia.

An unfortunate event occurred late in the game. Fortunately, Maverick has been cleared as fit, and while Bez doesn't have any broken bones, he's been taken to a Melbourne hospital for a thorough examination. The Stewards are still looking into the incident. #AustralianGP 🇦🇺

Vinales has not sustained any fractures but will receive treatment to reduce inflammation, whereas Bezzecchi was transported to the hospital for examinations and seems to have avoided any broken bones as well.

The investigation into the incident has been postponed to Sunday because Bezzecchi was unable to make it to his meeting with the stewards.

Vinales refrained from explicitly stating that the VR46 competitor deserves a penalty, yet implied that, following a conversation with the officials, this might be the course of action they ought to consider.

"He expressed feeling quite achy," he conveyed to motogp.com.

"Clearly, the discomfort is escalating. This is expected. The collision was severe. I approached the gravel at a high speed."

"Fortunately, the helmet did its job, and a special thanks to Arai and Alpinestars for always ensuring top-notch safety, which is truly amazing."

It seems as though nothing is fractured, yet there's a significant amount of soreness throughout, particularly in the hand and the arms.

"In my perspective, it seemed like he attempted to pass me once more after I had already passed him."

Clearly, I knew I couldn't overstep the boundary, so I slowed down to give him room.

"It's likely he got the braking point wrong or something similar, and as a result, when he hit the brakes, he ended up crashing into me."

"Officials must determine the specifics of the incident. I've clearly communicated the details to them, and I believe they comprehend the situation."

"They paid attention, which matters a lot, and we'll find out what happens next. We were anticipating… fortunately, both of us are fine and we're set to compete tomorrow."

Fernandez secures Aprilia's pride in sprint race

Following Vinales' departure, Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse Racing carried the flag for Aprilia, finishing seventh in the race after starting from the sixth position.

A tyre pressure infringement involving VR46's Fabio Di Giannantonio resulted in an elevation for Fernandez to sixth place, achieving his top sprint finish for the season.

The Spanish driver acknowledges that he had "a bit of good fortune" but commends Trackhouse for their remarkable recovery from a challenging Friday, stating that it felt like the team had "missed a day" in Australia.

"Fernandez acknowledged, "Indeed, we had a very good day."

"Indeed, fortune was on our side to a degree, as we found ourselves in 10th place towards the end, and due to several crashes, I was able to gain some points. Nonetheless, we truly put in an impressive effort."

"Yesterday presented significant challenges for our team. Essentially, we could consider it a lost day, but we managed to bounce back effectively."

"Indeed, for instance, today's sprint was my initial experience using the hard front."

"In essence, I quickly gathered information for tomorrow and also took care of this at the back."

"Thus, the goal was primarily to gain experience for the future, to understand the sensation of the tire, rather than focusing on scoring points."

Discover More

Sign up for our MotoGP Newsletter

Stay updated with the newest MotoGP stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and special offers straight from the track to your email.

For additional details, please consult our Privacy Policy.

Recent Updates

Additional News

Site Index

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Recreating or duplicating any portion of the text, images, or illustrations in any manner is strictly prohibited.