MotoGP News
Date:
29/September/2013
Rookie Marc Marquez put one hand on the 2013 MotoGP title with victory
in front of his home Spanish fans at Aragon.
However an incident between Marquez and Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa was
still ‘under investigation’ late on Sunday.
Marquez brushed the back wheel of second-place Pedrosa after misjudging
his braking point on lap 6 of 23.
The 20-year-old ran off the circuit, but worse was to follow for
Pedrosa. A rear wheel sensor was broken in the contact, disabling his traction
control. Pedrosa was then thrown high into the air when he applied the power on
the exit of the corner.
The incident, on Pedrosa’s 28th birthday, has all but ended
his slim Championship chances.
After leaving the Medical Centre, Pedrosa said: “I took a heavy knock to
my hip and my groin area, but I was able to escape relatively unhurt from what
was a big crash.
"Marc went in too wide on the corner entry, clipped me from the
outside and I went flying when I got on the gas. My mechanics told me later
that the traction control cable had been cut by the contact.”
On a possible penalty for Marquez, Pedrosa added: "Whatever the
decision I will still have zero points."
After re-joining the circuit, Marquez hunted down reigning champion
Jorge Lorenzo - winner of the previous two events - eventually beating the
Yamaha rider by 1.356s
Marquez now holds a 39-point lead over Lorenzo and 59-point advantage
over Pedrosa, with just four rounds remaining.
" I just touched him a little bit,” Marquez said of the incident
with Pedrosa. "After the race the team told me that I touched the cable
for his traction control. It's a strange thing. Never happened. Then when he
opened the gas he crashed.
“Sure it was my mistake, because I was behind. But the touch was like
nothing."
It is still unclear if Marquez will face any kind of penalty. The
reigning Moto2 champion received two of MotoGP’s new ‘Penalty Points’ for
disregarding yellow flags at Silverstone. Two more Penalty Points would mean a
back of the grid start.
Valentino Rossi, who finished third at Aragon, joked: “I was too far
back to see the crash, but anyway I think Marc needs to be penalised for at least
two or three seasons! Until I stop racing!”
