Binder on Bagnaia clash: “I stuck to my normal line”
Brad Binder, Francesco Bagnaia and Marco Bezzecchi explain Jerez Sprint clash, which left the reigning champion down and out.
Unlike the other 14 fallers in Saturday’s Jerez Sprint race, world champion Francesco Bagnaia wasn’t caught out by damp patches but was sent flying by a collision involving Brad Binder and Marco Bezzecchi.
After attempting to re-pass Marc Marquez for second at the final corner of lap 2, Binder lost drive onto the home straight. That allowed Bagnaia to draw alongside Binder, while Bezzecchi then dived under them both in the braking zone for Turn 1.
Binder responded by cutting back under the Ducatis at the apex, expecting them to drift wide. But when Bezzecchi (on the outside) turned in, Bagnaia became sandwiched in the middle and was thrown to the ground.
The clash was declared a racing incident by the FIM Stewards.
“I had a moment in the corner before,” Binder explained to MotoGP.com. “I had a little highside coming out and got no drive. So they split one on the right of me and one on the left [into Turn 1].
“From my view, it looked like they were going straight [wide]. They did a really good job at pulling it back. I just stuck to my normal line and it was unfortunate to see the outcome. I think it was just all the lines and three bikes went into one there.”
“Brad went out badly from the last corner because he made a mistake with Marc,” Bezzecchi said. “I found myself on the inside for the first corner. I just tried to brake strong.
"I think I could finish the overtake well, but Brad cut on the inside and touched Pecco. Pecco found me on the outside and couldn’t really do nothing. I just heard a big hit on my back.”
“In the seven races this season I’ve crashed twice due to contact, so not the ideal start [to the season],” said Bagnaia. “For me, to overtake two riders on the kerb is not the correct line. But I'm not here to penalise someone.”
Bezzecchi, who qualified second, and Binder, who took the holeshot, also failed to reach the chequered flag after falling on damp patches later in the race.
“When Alex [Marquez] went down in front of me I checked up a little bit and it was just enough to put me on the wet patch,” said Binder, who was in fourth place.
“When I saw Brad, Enea and Alex crash, I was just behind them so I said ‘try to survive’,” recalled Bezzecchi. “But two corners later I crashed also. The wind and wet patches made out life really difficult.”
