Espargaro on Marquez crashes: “How many times?” | Riders “don’t dare” criticise

Espargaro claimed the quantity of incidents that involve Marquez far outweighs everybody else’s, and hinted that he receives different treatment to Takaaki Nakagami who is regularly called out.

Marquez has been absent from MotoGP since the third lap of the first grand prix, when he crashed into Miguel Oliveira, causing injuries to both men.

Espargaro claimed afterwards Marquez should have received a race ban, rather than a double long lap penalty, for causing the crash.

The Aprilia rider has now told AS: “It is not to be critical of Marc but to be honest and face it. The others are behind. 

“I'm going to face it, for better or for worse.

“Who said that the touches were his fault? How many touches has Marc had and how many have the other 20 riders combined? 

“Add the touches that have been on the grid in the last five years and their touches, only theirs, in the last five years. I only judged the one from Portugal. 

“If it can happen to anyone? Yes, but how many times has it happened to him and how many to me or Pecco?”

Marquez has not been the only rider involved in a crash this season. Jorge Martin wiped out Alex Marquez, for example, but Espargaro sees an important difference.

“How many times has Martín done it and how many times has Marc?”

Espargaro was told that Marquez has been in MotoGP for far longer than Martin, but he replied: “I don't know, it's your opinion against mine. 

“What I said was nothing personal, far from it, but for me it was a very preventable accident and one in which there could have been much more serious consequences.”

Espargaro took issue with other MotoGP riders who, he believes, are not strong enough in their criticism of Marquez. 

“There are many drivers, many, complaining that Nakagami deserves a severe penalty, because he has had many repeated ones and there is no penalty,” Espargaro explained.

“But there is no boom because Nakagami is not Márquez. 

“Nakagami has had a hundred times more [criticism] than Marc, but it's not Marc and it doesn't come out everywhere. 

“And with Marc it's like they don't dare. 

“Why do we all dare with Nakagami and then we ask Fabio and Pecco about Marc and their answers are 'yeah, well..."

Espargaro and Marquez have long had a tense relationship - although the Aprilia rider, last season, gave his Honda rival a respectful embrace before he headed for career-threatening surgery.

However, Espargaro insists that the crash in Portimao warranted more than a mere double long lap penalty (the status of which is still unclear, with the MotoGP Court of Appeals yet to decide).

“I did not speak of him in bad faith, far from it,” Espargaro said. 

“For me the action was very hard and it was for a greater sanction than what they proposed.”

Marquez hopes to return to this weekend’s French MotoGP at Le Mans but he is already 80 points behind Francesco Bagnaia at the summit of the standings.

Yet Espargaro thinks Marquez could still challenge for the title: “There are many points at stake. 

“With those lost here, he can also be a champion very calmly. 

“The question is what condition he arrives in and how the Honda is. But for the points..."