Shock and frustration: a weekend to forget
Just like in the last French GP, the two Pramac riders also finished the Catalan GP in the points zone in Barcelona. In a race unfortunately affected by the very bad crashes of Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco, with both riders fortunately reassuring everyone about their conditions after being assisted on the track and the initial concerns, the minimal satisfaction for the result obtained not only took a back seat, but faded after the race.
Read more Zarco leaves Barcelona: tomorrow exams in Lyon with a knee specialist
The penalties
Both Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu, in fact, received a 16-second penalty for irregular tire pressure (as happened to other riders such as Joan Mir, Alex Rins, and Raul Fernandez), sliding respectively to 15th and 16th place in the final classification. A generally tough day, as explained by the Australian rider: “In the first part of the race I felt quite good and we managed the tires quite conservatively. I saw the riders around me starting to struggle a bit more, while we still had a good pace. After the first restart we changed strategy because I was not completely comfortable with the rear tire feeling, and for the last start we opted for the medium. In the end, we were probably too conservative for what effectively became a shorter race. The track conditions improved a lot and we simply lacked acceleration out of the corner compared to others. The main problem remains that when the bike is lifted and the throttle is opened, we still lose too much traction on exit. This makes it very difficult to attack or defend positions during the race. Regarding today’s incidents, obviously our thoughts go to Alex Márquez and Johann Zarco. Seeing crashes like that is never easy for anyone on the grid and we all hope both riders recover as quickly and as well as possible.”
Read more Juncadella: “Technical K.O. due to contact between Max and Engel? No, it just happens”
Difficulty returning to the track after the incidents involving the two riders was also expressed by Razgatlioglu, who was also disappointed by the result despite all efforts: “First of all, I am very sorry for Alex Márquez and Johann Zarco, both involved in bad crashes. When something like that happens it’s not easy to fully concentrate on the race again because, first of all, the concern is for the riders. I immediately asked the team for updates because from the track the crashes looked very serious. The important thing is that both are conscious and receiving the best possible care. As for my race, honestly the result is not positive because I am giving my best, but this is the situation at the moment. On low-grip tracks like Barcelona we still struggle a lot, especially in corners and with rear grip. I lose too much time when I open the throttle because the bike doesn’t turn enough and I end up waiting before I can accelerate properly. The test will therefore be very important for us because we need to focus especially on improving cornering stability and rear grip. Little by little I am understanding the bike better, but we still need to take another step forward.”
Read more Canada prepares for the first sprint: «Domenicali is right, it is an added value»
