'Angry' Checa asks for unity.

In the aftermath of Daijiro Kato's Suzuka accident, Carlos Checa has called for the MotoGP riders to stick together and work more closely in the future.

Checa is currently staying at former triple 500cc world champion Wayne Rainey's house in California. The American was paralysed in 1993 while on his way to a fourth successive world title.

"I am currently spending a few days at Wayne Rainey's house in Monterrey, close to the Laguna Seca circuit where I have contested several Grand Prix," Checa wrote on his website. "Wayne has been telling me to go visit him for a couple of years and up to now I haven't had chance. He was a rider whom I really admired and he played a big role in me joining Yamaha, and I will be staying here for the whole of Easter.

"I am still annoyed about tenth place in the race at Suzuka because I know perfectly well that this is not where I should be," continue Carlos. "I am also angry and embarrassed about something to do with Daijiro Kato's terrible accident. Now everybody is talking about security and that the riders should pull together to defend our rights; but the sad and shameful truth is that we are not together and we never have been, but we only realise that after a tragedy.

"I hope this changes and we all realise that it is necessary for us to work together even though we are rivals on the track," he added.

Checa was one of the group of riders near Kato at the time of his accident.