The first round of the 2023 MotoGP season has so far been full of discussion points, starting with the terrible accident of Pol Espargaro, which took place on Friday in FP2, which caused fractures to the jaw and a dorsal vertebra, as well as a lung trauma, to the GasGas pilot.
The incident raised many concerns from the drivers regarding the safety of the Algarve Circuit, in particular the lack of an air fence at turn 10, where Pol crashed (which has since been rectified), and the the continued ignored requests for modifications to the gravel escape routes, in which there are too large stones, which do not favor the slowing down of the bike and rider in the event of a fall.
Then on Saturday the first Sprint in history took place, and the short race had a mixed reception from the protagonists.
The vice-world champion Fabio Quartararo, for example, believes that the aggressiveness put on the track by some opponents has made it “a jungle”, warning that if action is not taken immediately there is the risk of having to deal with a bad accident. However, the winner Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, third, don’t seem to agree with the Frenchman’s thesis.
All of this once again raised the question of the possible formation of a riders’ union, with Alex Marquez explaining that he now considers it an urgent need for the MotoGP. Which currently does not exist, unlike in Formula 1, where there is the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA).
All safety issues are discussed at the Safety Commission meeting held on the Friday of each Grand Prix weekend, although attendance at this meeting is not mandatory and many drivers, including Quartararo, do not always show up.
Speaking directly about the Sprint and what the limits set for the riders should be, and if these can be dictated by them, Alex Marquez said: “I think at the moment we don’t have the power to do it.”
Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
When asked what he thought could change this situation, he replied: “Having a commission of pilots. It is something that represents the future, and it could avoid problems like yesterday with Pol and things like that.”
“We need to talk to the riders and see who will be the first to take the first step. But we need to have a commission for the riders like in all other sports.”
The riders often have divergent opinions on the issues to be addressed, but Alex Marquez believes that the formation of a commission could make it easier to solve problems: “The issues could be decided if there is a majority of more than 50%”.
As for who should take the reins, Marquez said: “He can’t be a rider now, but he has to be a former rider, or even a lawyer, because he has to know the contracts, but also what we can and can’t do.” .
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