‘I pray before Turn 1’: MotoGP riders react to ‘predictable’ Hungarian GP crash

No rider was seriously injured following a multi-bike pile-up in Hungary, but the incident re-opened debate about safety of riders at the start of races

MotoGP riders have offered varying views on the Turn 1 melee triggered by Aprilia’s Jorge Martin at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Martin got out of shape under braking for the opening right-hander and crashed into his team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, with the likes of Fabio di Giannantonio, Raul Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer all involved in the pile-up.

Both Martin and Bezzecchi suffered bruises in the incident, but initial scans didn’t show any signs of fracture. This was the second such crash in three race weekends, after Johann Zarco suffered a serious knee injury during the first restart at last month’s Catalan Grand Prix.

The incident also came in the wake of safety concerns at the Balaton Park Circuit, with riders already complaining about a lack of grip at Turn 1, which was resurfaced in the build-up to the race.

Honda’s Luca Marini got a bird’s view of the accident and said such a crash was entirely expected, with riders keen to gain early ground at a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

“Well, this was predictable, in my opinion,” he said. “Yesterday, we were super careful, but today, for the big prize, you risk everything there because you know that you can achieve a good result if you finish the first lap in the top three positions.”

He added: “The layout doesn't help because you need to stop until 40km/h. The layout of the track doesn't help because every position that you gain there is one less rider that you have to overtake in 27 laps, so this combination.

“Also, they did not do a good job with the tarmac. We spoke a lot with MotoGP and there was a misunderstanding between them and the track and things didn't go in a good way.”

VR46’s Di Giannantonio was an unlucky bystander to be caught up in the incident, with Aldeguer’s Ducati forcing him onto the ground. However, the Italian was able to remount his bike and finish the race in 12th, bagging important points on a day when the two top riders in the championship failed to score.

Di Giannantonio was particularly critical about the aggression of riders at the start, as well as wider issues, saying he has to “pray” for his safety before races: “Whatever happened to Jorge, we need to avoid it. I think I’m talking about myself as well, we risk too much every time. We are not risking just to crash or lose the front.

“We are risking to put the lives of all the riders in danger. Because today it could be much, much worse again - and this is not good at all for our sport and for our lives. So, I think if we don't understand this with good penalties, we need to do with bad [more severe] penalties.

“I think it's crazy that I have to pray before the race, not to do a good race, but to be safe after the first corner. I think it's completely crazy.”

Just before the Hungarian GP, Motorsport.com revealed that MotoGP is planning to increase the space between riders on the grid to make starts safer for riders.

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team, Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team, Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Ferenc Isza / AFP via Getty Images

Asked if such a rule would help avoid a repeat of the Balaton Park melee, di Giannantonio said: “For sure, we arrived really close at the first corner. So if a rider arrives here, he risks a lot, and the reward is really high at the moment, he can pay a lot.

“If we arrive with much more distance between us, you risk a lot for just two places, maybe it doesn't feel worth it, and maybe you don't do it. So whatever it takes to make some space, for sure it's better.”

He added: “I think we are the best riders in the world, we can handle the situation. But again, if we can't do it by ourselves, for sure some space, or [the start line] be closer to the first corner is better.”

Pramac’s Jack Miller suspects the crash was caused by Martin struggling to disengage the holeshot device, calling for an immediate ban on such ride-height adjustment mechanism in MotoGP.

“[It seemed] Jorge [was] trying to get the device out," he said, "the bike jumped and then when it starts jumping, it's difficult to make it stop. I've been saying all along since Barcelona, since we saw two crashes at the first corner for the same sort of thing, ‘take them off'.

“At the end of the day, we're making an unnatural manoeuvre, especially here in Balaton, where Turn 1 was quite slippery. With the new asphalt, you weren't even really able, without locking the front, to really get enough transfer to unlock the devices. So, another device-related crash, I believe.

“Everybody's even [without the device]. We're all arriving here in Balaton, probably an extra 15 to 20km/h faster and then doing an unnatural braking manoeuvre.

“So, we take off the front device, it makes everybody's life easier and everybody is in the same boat. We're all in the same boat at the moment, except the boat is going 30km/h faster.”