The current world champion, Fabio Quartararo, also the leader of the drivers’ classification at the moment, fell to the ground on the fifth lap of the Dutch GP after measuring incorrectly in one of his overtaking maneuvers when trying to overtake Espargaró, who at that precise moment was in second place, behind Pecco Bagnaia.
When trying to hit the Spanish rider with the front wheel of his motorcycle, the front end of the M1 gave way and Quartararo was unable to avoid the fall, in which he also contacted the Aprilia rider, who was pushed into the gravel.
Luckily for him, Espargaró was able to rejoin and perform a tremendous comeback, which led him to cross the finish line in fourth place, in what, for many, was the best race of his life.
Less lucky was the boy from Nice, who despite getting back on his prototype and initially going through the garage, suffered a second fall while trying to stay on track, waiting for a possible rain that never came.
As if that were not enough, the stewards interpreted that the maneuver of the #20 deserved a sanction for irresponsible driving, a circumstance that infuriated the runner, who waited until Monday to rule.
Quartararo ‘s anger is due to the inconsistency that, according to him, prevails in the trial of the commissioners, who did not penalize other actions that, in his opinion, were more punishable than the one he carried out this Sunday.
Without mentioning them, the Frenchman was referring to the cases of Bagnaia in Qatar (he took on Jorge Martín), of Jack Miller in Portugal (he swept away Joan Mir), and the most recent, Takaaki Nakagami’s double carom in Montmeló, where the Japanese measured his speed wrong in the first braking, and hit Alex Rins and Bagnaia.
“Well… A long lap that I will have to do in the next race. Now we can’t try any overtaking maneuvers because they [the stewards] think you are too ambitious,” the Yamaha rider wrote on his social media. “Since the beginning of the year, the actions of some pilots were valued as ‘Race Incidents’, but, from the looks of it, mine was too dangerous. Congratulations to the stewards for the incredible job they do,” said the French ironically. “Next time I won’t try to overtake so I don’t get a penalty,” Fabio Quartararo clinched.
