MotoGP was lucky to avoid a more dramatic outcome from the huge Australian Grand Prix sprint collision between Maverick Vinales and Marco Bezzecchi at Phillip Island’s first corner – with Bezzecchi and Vinales not alone in being affected.
The pair made contact entering the Doohan corner (one of the fastest and most intimidating corners on the MotoGP calendar) when Bezzecchi got sucked into the slipstream of Vinales’ bike. This caused the pair to fall at high speed, their machines effectively disintegrating as they first collided and then tumbled through the gravel trap.
Vinales underwent treatment for a badly inflamed left elbow while Bezzecchi, though thought after a medical centre check-up to have likewise avoided any fractures or other serious injuries, was taken by air ambulance to Melbourne for further examination.
It had been a heavy crash for him in particular, as Bezzecchi was face down and not moving in the gravel for 10 seconds after his landing, though eventually was able to return to the paddock on the back of a marshal’s motorcycle.
It’s not the first time that we’ve seen a similar incident at Turn 1 thanks to the layout, the high gusting winds in the area of the Phillip Island circuit – but also the exacerbated slipstream effects of modern MotoGP bikes and their aero devices.
The last such incident involved Marc Marquez and Johann Zarco in 2017 – and Marquez, without having seen a replay of the Bezzecchi/Vinales crash, nevertheless had a pretty full picture of how it had transpired.
“It looks like it was Bezzecchi’s fault, but was a racing incident. I remember in 2017 I had the same situation. I overtook by slipstream, and when I arrived in the braking point the wind pushed me out.
“You do not want to go to the middle of the track with these bikes. If you go in front of the guy you’re overtaking, the slipstream is sucking them. You never want to be in front because you know that it’s a dangerous situation for you.
“Especially today, the wind was pushing laterally, and I think Vinales can’t avoid that movement [to go in front of Bezzecchi] and Bezzecchi can’t avoid the sucking. Guys are arriving at 320 kph at the end of the straight, [bikes are] shaking, [it’s] windy.”
Vinales blames Bezzecchi
However, it’s fair to say that Vinales was less understanding of the potential cause of the crash, instead laying the blame firmly on the shoulders of Bezzecchi.
“If I can race tomorrow, it’s fine,” he said. “For sure I’m fit, but I want to see how I pass the night and how the things develop.
“Of course I have my point of view to the stewards and everybody, and obviously I can see it was a mistake. I’m always aware in this corner to give the rider some metres when you overtake, because if he wants to come back they can get the slipstream.
“But from my point of view he tried to overtake me again. This is my opinion. Because [Fabio] Di Giannantonio was behind, and he braked on the normal point. It’s always the same, but we have the stewards and they have to decide.”
Vinales’ Aprilia team-mate Aleix Espargaro backed up Vinales’ view of the crash.
The stewards have deferred their judgement of the incident until Sunday, given that Bezzecchi was unable to present his case as he underwent medical treatment.
Post-crash collateral damage
Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori, at the Australian race standing in for the injured Miguel Olivera in the Trackhouse Racing team, also got caught up in the crash, after the Italian was struck by debris a lap later.
Crossing the start-finish line to start the final lap only three tenths of a second behind the LCR Honda bike of Taka Nakagami, Savadori was struck on the right forearm by what he believes was a piece of the front mudguard of Bezzecchi’s bike – and isn’t yet sure if he’ll be able to take part in Sunday’s main event.
“At the moment I am unfit [to ride] because I don’t have any power in the hand,” he explained.
“Nothing is broken but maybe the nerve has taken the impact, and at the moment I don’t have the power.
“Tomorrow morning, I need to try with the doctor and if I have some power I can be fit to race.”
The incident has understandably resulted in quite a bit of anger within the Aprilia camp, according to The Race’s sources, with questions being asked of race control’s decision not to stop the race one lap early as large pieces of debris were clearly visible on the racing line.
“I was lucky because it hit me on the arm,” Savadori added, “but it was a very dangerous situation. I think it was the front fender, this kind of piece, but of course I didn’t see it at 340 kph. It was really dangerous, and I hope tonight everything comes better.”
Giannantonio’s lucky escape
Savadori wasn’t the only rider to get caught up in the aftermath of Bezzecchi and Vinales’ crash, however, with the aforementioned Fabio Di Giannantonio (who was fighting with the pair for fifth at the time) lucky to escape unscathed from the debris cloud that ensued.
“When you arrive, you arrive at 350 kph,” he explained. “I saw the crash, and it was a scary moment, believe me.
“When you arrive there and you have to control your bike while you see two bikes in front of you exploding, literally, it’s scary.
“Some pieces of their bikes hit me. I got the titanium plate here [on the shoulder of his Dainese suit] completely destroyed, and some bits on the helmet and the screen. Luckily everyone seems OK, but a tough one.”
Acosta in doubt for Sunday
There may well be another rider fewer on the grid tomorrow thanks to a separate incident, after a highside for rookie Pedro Acosta left the Tech3 racer injured.
“I have pain in the shoulder,” he said. “It was a hard one. But [right now it is] not so painful as when I had the hit.
“There’s nothing broken. It’s like the shoulder went out and in again, and the ligaments are quite inflamed.
“We hope [we can race tomorrow]but I need to go for a medical check again in the morning. Let’s see how it’s going.”
