Enea Bastianini did not have the best performance at the Catalunya GP, finishing in 18th place due to a penalty for not respecting the race direction and taking the “Long Lap” penalty after exceeding track limits more than once.
In the debrief, the Italian rider expressed his frustration with the race direction and explained his reasons.
“I had two long laps and then I couldn’t see the control panel. The control panel was too bright, but I disagreed because I overtook Alex on the track and when we arrived, I braked much later and he braked even later and pushed me off the track. And for me, it was impossible to hold the brake. The only solution was to cut the chicane. I also lost time because I followed the long lap line. I waited for them to ask Alex to give me back my position for two, three laps, and then the long lap came to me. And I completely disagreed. And I made the decision to continue without doing it. I know it’s not the right choice, but we have to do something because nothing changes in each race.”
He also added about the meeting he had with race direction after the race: ‘I suggested to Race Direction that they watch the videos again. They saw them in front of me and did not contest anything. Tardozzi also sent an email asking for at least the position to be restored, but they replied that nothing can be done after the fact. What intrigued me the most was the fact that the track marshals thought I had gained time, which means they were not paying attention. Personally, I am angry, but I cannot avoid it. Still, it would be good if we could do something and make the word of the riders more important, instead of just thinking about the regulations. Perceptions and feelings are no longer valued, only written laws, and for me, that is unacceptable, because there are situations where a little humanity would be necessary.’
