Fermin Aldeguer ‘didn’t make a crazy move’ in Pecco Bagnaia smash
Fermin Aldeguer has defended his overtake attempt that led to Pecco Bagnaia’s crash in Qatar
Fermin Aldeguer doesn’t believe he “made such a crazy move” in the incident with Pecco Bagnaia in the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix sprint that left him with fractures.
The Gresini rider was battling with KTM’s Pedro Acosta exiting Lusail’s Turn 15 when he misjudged his braking into the last corner and collided with Bagnaia.
Bagnaia was sent into a horrendous crash, with the factory Ducati rider suffering multiple foot fractures. The sprint was red-flagged while he was attended to trackside.
Aldeguer was handed a double long lap penalty to serve in the restarted sprint.
“It’s a bit of a lottery…”
Speaking to the media afterwards, Aldeguer says he apologised to Ducati and Bagnaia’s crew, but defended his actions.
“First of all, I want to apologise to Pecco and the team,” he is reported by Motorsport as saying.
“I've already stopped by his garage and tried to explain as clearly as possible what happened.
“The crash was spectacular, but I don't think I made such a crazy move, from my perspective.
“I was trying to regain a position on Pedro, who had exited badly from Turn 15.
“I saw the opportunity to get through at the last corner, but clearly he, after exiting badly, tried to defend his position.
“We were a little past the halfway point of the track, towards the right, and we know that here in Qatar, when you go off the racing line, it's a bit of a lottery.
“I wasn't able to brake the bike as I would have liked.”
“Others take it more personally…”
Aldeguer finished the sprint 11th, 9.429s off the lead, after serving his double long lap penalty.
He noted that it was important to get rid of the punishment ahead of the main race.
On his apology to Ducati, he added: “In the end, some understand that these things can happen in the race, while others take it more personally.
“But I can only apologise and try to prevent something like this from happening again in the next races.
“In the end, that's how it goes: sometimes you make a mistake, other times you suffer it.”
