Did you see exactly what happened? You were right there when Martin started to swerve.
“I saw it clearly; he went for a hard brake, and I thought to myself, ‘He’s going to hit someone.’ So I had to brake harder and be ready to close the corner, because it would definitely have been a disaster. I expected a red flag, but nothing happened. It was a shame because the next lap there was still something there: maybe debris, maybe a wet patch, maybe fuel, I don’t know. I got there, lost the front, and Jack passed me. Then I lost a lot of seconds behind Jack, because he was pushing hard and it was really difficult to pass him. Then, when the rear tyre started to wear out, I tried to push it harder for a lap or two to pass him, because I knew I was losing a lot of time there. And the guys behind me were catching up too.”
Do you think the crash was more due to the track layout—the fact that the first corner is so tight—or to the new asphalt and the lack of grip?
“Both. The track layout definitely doesn’t help, because you have to brake down to forty kilometers per hour. And the track doesn’t help because every position you gain there means one less rider you have to pass over the next twenty-seven laps. It’s that combination. And then they didn’t do a good job with the asphalt; that has to be said. We talked about it a lot with MotoGP: there was a misunderstanding between them and the circuit, and things didn’t go the right way. But it’s like when you start in the wet: it’s wet, it’s slippery, you have to be careful. Yesterday everything went well: Moto3, Moto2, everything fine. It can happen.”
But do you think it’s plausible that maybe Jorge had a problem with the downforce?
“I don’t know. Try to look into it, because maybe they were working on Martin’s bike on the grid. There was still something with the exhaust valve, I don’t know. I don’t know, try asking the Aprilia guys.”
