Dovizioso: Simoncelli wasn't reckless - this time

MotoGP News
Date: 26/06/2011

Andrea Dovizioso has had more than his fair share of run-ins with Marco Simoncelli, but the Repsol Honda rider took a forgiving view of his fellow Italian's lap one accident at Assen - which also brought down world champion Jorge Lorenzo.

Simoncelli has become MotoGP's new love/hate figure - his uncompromising riding style being admired by many fans, but criticised by fellow riders, even before collisions with Dani Pedrosa at Le Mans and now Lorenzo at Assen.

Gresini Honda rider Simoncelli has now crashed in four of the seven races this year and, despite his unquestionable speed, is still waiting for a first MotoGP podium.

As at Estoril, Simoncelli was launched from his bike after just a few corners of the Assen race, having once again pushed too hard on the slow-to-heat Bridgestone tyres.

The former 2050cc world champion had been attempting to overtake Lorenzo and inadvertently dragged the fuming Spaniard down with him.

Dovizioso, who was just behind Simoncelli, explained what happened:

"Simoncelli lost the rear. Not on the entry to the corner, but just before he opened the throttle I think. And then he touched Lorenzo," said the Honda rider, who went on to finish third.

"This is something that can happen in racing," Dovi insisted. "It was not something over the rules. Sure, it happened to Simoncelli because he is really aggressive, but this kind of accident is normal for our tyres unfortunately."

Lorenzo, who rejoined to finish sixth, agreed that is had been a racing incident, but wasn't in a forgiving mood.

"Of course Simoncelli doesn’t want to throw me off the track, that wasn’t his intention but I think he is not very conscious about the risks in this class with these tyres," said Lorenzo, who has now slipped to 28 points behind Casey Stoner.

"I thought he learnt from the past and the polemic he created with Dani but it’s clear he hasn’t."

The Le Mans incident left Pedrosa with a broken collarbone and earned Simoncelli a ride-through penalty, but he was not penalised by Race Direction for the Assen mishap.

However, the dejected Italian, who got back on track and rode his damaged bike to ninth, admitted he should have been more patient.

"I was very naïve," said Simoncelli. "It was the first left hander, the asphalt was cold and, although I don’t think that I went in too hard to get past Lorenzo, I felt that I couldn’t hold back because I was third and close to the front two. There was time though, and I could have waited.

"I am unhappy to have caught Lorenzo up in my crash and can only apologise to him. It is another bad experience for me and I am going to try and bear it in mind, without losing focus and motivation.”