MotoGP, Marquez-Bezzecchi clash: Marc made a mistake, but in good faith

Monday after MotoGP Qatar weekend. The Lusail lights are off. The garages are shuttered. The few fans (55,000 spectators, more or less in line with expectations, but about a third of the numbers at many circuits on the calendar) have returned to their everyday lives.

Only the spectre of race direction’s mistake over the Marc Marquez–Marco Bezzecchi clash in Saturday’s sprint race continues to hang over the event. Because there’s no point beating around the bush: it was a mistake.

There’s no need to spend too many words recounting what happened; everyone saw it: Bezzecchi was already alongside. His line was tighter than usual, but still on the inside of Marquez. Some pointed out how unusual the Aprilia rider’s line right along the kerb was—at least at that point in the race. But he was trying to overtake, so it was only natural—in fact, I’d say prudent—to take a more tucked-in line.

The Spaniard, for his part, had always taken a wider line. From the first lap, he had been running a little wider to make the most of the acceleration and set himself up on the right side for the next change of direction. And he wasn’t the only one. So far, then, there was nothing to reproach either rider for.

So why did so many people—Massimo Rivola above all—react with disbelief and sarcasm to the decision not to penalise the nine-time world champion? The answer lies in how blindly Marc Marquez moved back onto the racing line: without considering that a rival might be there. At Lusail, that rival was Marco Bezzecchi, already alongside, on the inside. In that position, the rider coming alongside is, in fact and in principle, in the right. That case is even stronger when they’re the only one who suffers damage.

From that position, with everything unfolding in a matter of hundredths of a second, it’s hard to say for certain whether MM93 saw the Italian’s silhouette. He was leaned over, looking towards the corner exit. It’s more likely he only sensed him when it was already too late. And that is precisely where his mistake lay: not turning his head and eyes a few degrees for a fraction of a second; acting as if he were racing alone.

The fact that the collision was unintentional is not even in question. In the past, Marc Marquez was accused by Valentino Rossi of having found a way to bring rivals down while emerging from the clash unscathed. After the heated 2018 Argentine GP, Rossi said Marc would aim for a rider’s leg, knowing that if he hit you between your legs and the bike, he wouldn’t fall—and would hope that you did. According to the Tavullia champion, Márquez would use contact with rivals’ legs to his advantage, unbalancing them without risking a fall himself.

What happened at Lusail was very different. The bikes were practically alongside each other. The difference in the risk of falling between the two positions is hard to quantify on paper. Let alone out on track.

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