Marc Marquez: "I can't make TikToks and attend meetings"

There’s a bit of tension in the Mugello paddock. The Friday afternoon meeting, where the riders discuss on-track safety, was boycotted. Schedules are so packed with new formats and fan events that most MotoGP class athletes prefer to stay in their motorhomes to rest. And controversy is breaking out among insiders.

It was Pecco Bagnaia who lit the fuse a few weeks ago, when he publicly complained that almost no one attends the Safety Commission meetings. This body was created years ago so that riders could discuss safety matters with Dorna and the FIM. But the situation has reached an unprecedented breaking point.

Tension escalated during the Montmeló round, where Bagnaia was visibly annoyed by his fellow riders’ attitude. The Turin native revealed that only three people attended the meeting at Le Mans with him: Jack Miller and Luca Marini. A ridiculously small number for an entire Top Class starting grid.

At the Italian GP, some journalists asked Marc Marquez why he hadn’t taken part in these Friday meetings for some time. The MotoGP champion didn’t dodge the question and clearly and directly explained the real reasons for his absence. "We riders are under too much pressure lately. I mean, we have 44 races, we’re asked to do a lot in terms of events. You also have to manage time to recover, to be with the physiotherapist... Well, in the last two years I haven’t always gone to the meetings because I don’t have time."

The Ducati rider goes further in his outburst. "I can’t record TikToks, go to the safety commission... I say TikTok just as an example, but I can’t be involved in a thousand things, and above all, my priority is to recover energy during the weekend."

Despite the current situation, Marc Marquez acknowledges that riders should unite to have greater bargaining power with the organization. "I’d like to see that unity among riders that we tried to create two years ago, but only two or three were really fully committed. Why not bring it back for the future?"

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