Sepang
The Sepang clash will be talked
about for years to come. It has
completely divided opinion and the
passion from the fans on both sides
has been crazy. I’ve seen loads of
comments and the line between
fan and fanatic has become quite
blurred. The yellow army went into
overdrive defending number 46’s
actions on social media, whilst just
as many were arguing vehemently
that they saw Valentino kick Marc.
When I saw it live, in that instant,
I thought maybe there was a kick,
however, after careful analyses, I am
certain there was no kick!
Were Valentino’s actions during the
Sepang race justifiable? In a nutshell;
yes. Outside the rules, but justifiable
all the same. The majority of riders
will agree. At the time I tried to sum
up the situation in as few words as
possible on social media, and I stand
by my initial comment, ‘Marc broke
the unwritten rule, always RESPECT
those fighting for a championship
when you’re not. Vale got enraged
and hung him out to dry’
Of course many argued that Marc is
under no obligation to anyone else
on the grid. He rides for himself, his
team and sponsors; with that I agree.
Respect, however was the word I
highlighted. Whichever way you look
at it, Marc was overly aggressive
in the first third of the race towards
someone fighting for something
bigger than a podium finish on
the day. Had the Thursday press
conference happened without the
drama, I don’t believe Marc would
have chosen to ride in that manner!
Supposing Marc had stayed
onboard, everything would have
been different. Vale parked him
for one second longer than Marc
anticipated which initiated contact.
I don’t believe Vale intended to put
Marc on the ground, but that was
the result nonetheless, an action that
is now a punishable offense. The
three license penalty points received,
added to his previous one for an
earlier indiscretion, was enough to
park Valentino on the rear of the grid
for the final showdown in Valencia.
£ Despite the debates
amongst teams and fans,
race director Mike Webb
ultimately declared that
Rossi’s punishment was
for ‘deliberate contact’
and that without a clear
smoking gun the “kick”
(or non-kick) was not
taken into consideration.