"He shouldn't win": Rival slams Marc Marquez's Jerez MotoGP sprint pitlane shortcut
Johann Zarco believes Marc Marquez should have been penalised at the Jerez MotoGP sprint
LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco believes Marc Marquez “shouldn’t win” the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix sprint because “you can’t go backwards on a track”.
Ducati rider Marc Marquez crashed with five laps to go in Saturday’s flag-to-flag sprint at Jerez, but remounted his damaged bike and crossed the grass at Turn 13 to pit for his wet machine.
He went on to win the sprint by over three seconds, though his ‘shortcut’ of the final corner after he crashed has caused a split in opinion.
The FIM stewards investigated the incident but deemed Marquez broke no rules and took no further action.
However, LCR’s Johann Zarco, who started second in the sprint and finished eighth, told French TV that Marquez should not be allowed to keep his victory.
“He shouldn't win the race because when he crashes in the last corner, it already means he had decided not to pit,” Zarco told Canal+
“So if he's at Turn 13 and he comes back to the pits, it means he's going backwards, and you don't go backwards on the track.
“If he doesn't get a penalty, that's frankly very strange.
“Then, people will say that he knows the rules better than anyone else, but I don't think so, he's just incredibly lucky.”
Marquez didn’t ride against the normal flow of traffic when he rejoined the race and cut into pitlane.
Zarco added: "So, for me, he shouldn't win the race, but we'll see the judges' decision.
“He dared to take that risk [otherwise] he would have come in a lap too late.
“So, maybe he would have gone a little faster than the others, but without having the victory.
“Because to have the victory or to be on the podium, you had to come in a lap earlier, so there you go.
“I think he shouldn't win this race because his decision was made, 'I might pit on the next lap'. He crashes: 'Oh, I'll pit'. Normally, that's not possible.”
Marquez later admitted he did make a mistake in staying out on slicks for as long as he did, but also noted that his handlebars were too damaged for him to continue after he fell.
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