Marc Marquez attributed the accident in the MotoGP race in Portimão last week to Francesco Bagnaia, resulting in both riders not scoring points. The incident occurred as they were battling for fifth place, with only three laps remaining. Bagnaia retired from the race, while Marquez dropped to 16th place.
Marquez went off track in his attempt to overtake Bagnaia, resulting in contact when the reigning champion tried to get back underneath the Ducati Gresini rider. « In my opinion, it was a mistake by Pecco, » Marquez expressed to The Race. « Not just because of the incident itself – he tried to come back and, although it was overly optimistic, contact can happen. But it was a mistake because we were fighting for fifth or sixth place. Two more points for me, two less for him. He was struggling a lot with his tires, especially the rear one. So, with only three or four laps left, you know you’re going to lose the position. There’s no need to be so aggressive. But he made that decision, and the consequence is that both Ducatis didn’t score. »
Marquez also shared his perspective on the incident, describing it as « risky. » Despite visiting the medical center for a check-up, he fortunately did not suffer any injuries. He also emphasized that it is up to the stewards to determine the limits of such incidents. « I told the stewards that it’s a racing incident taken to the extreme. But it’s their responsibility to define where that limit is, » Marquez added.
Cependant, Bagnaia a eu une interprétation différente de l’incident, affirmant qu’il était clair qu’il essaierait de récupérer la position dès qu’il a vu Marquez sortir de la piste. « Quand Marc m’a dépassé, il est sorti de la piste! Quand un pilote devant vous, avec qui vous vous battez, sort de la piste, que faites-vous? Vous essayez de le dépasser à nouveau pour gagner plus de points », a expliqué Bagnaia. « De mon point de vue, ce n’était pas risqué. »
La course décevante de Bagnaia à Portimão l’a fait perdre la tête du championnat au profit de Jorge Martin, qui a remporté sa première victoire en 2024 de manière dominante.
