HRC reflects on Marquez/Pedrosa incident

Honda boss Livio Suppo believes Marc Marquez will have to change his super aggressive tactics after the MotoGP world championship leader was involved in a major talking point with factory HRC teammate Dani Pedrosa in Spain last weekend.

Pedrosa was lying in second place behind Jorge Lorenzo on lap six of Sunday’s Motorland Aragon clash when Marquez ran in too hot behind him on the approach to Turn 12.

There was minimal contact but a rear wheel speed sensor mounted on the back of Pedrosa’s swingarm was damaged, disabling the Spaniard’s traction control system.

Seconds later and Pedrosa’s world title hopes were effectively ended for another year when he high-sided out while accelerating towards Turn 13 with no traction control.

Suppo told MCN: “It was a lot of bad luck for Dani because it was not a very aggressive move by Marc. The touch was very small but unfortunately this cable was broken and that was bad luck and we will need to understand how to avoid it in the future. I think you could try and do that another million times and it would never happen but one time is enough. In Parc Ferme Marc said maybe it was the clutch that did it. If you just push it is difficult to cut it.”

While admitting the crucial contract with Pedrosa was only miniscule, it is the fact that the build-up to the touch was a carbon copy of numerous previous close calls involving rookie sensation Marquez.

Marquez has frequently run into corners too hot on the brakes and has to take last minute action to avoid hitting the rider in front.

Suppo added: “On one side his style is like this but I think sure he needs to think more about it. It is becoming bigger because it is not the first time it has happened. This is something I think he needs to understand and he has to do something different. They have different styles and Marc is a very late braker and he was probably braking later than Dani.

This can happen in racing but on the other side it is better if it doesn’t happen. We are always speaking with the riders. Now we are getting close to the end of the championship, so we can’t afford to lose an opportunity to clinch it.”

Pedrosa was critical of Marquez after the incident, which left him a massive 59-points adrift in the title hunt with only four races remaining.

Marquez was apologetic, adding it had been a freak incident that the slight nudge had damaged the rear wheel speed sensor cable on impact.

Suppo said: “I understand the views of both because it was a small mistake. Dani had the pace to win and it is just incredible bad luck. On one side one thinks they didn’t do anything so bad and the other has crashed and thinks his championship is finished through no fault of his own, so I understand both of them.”

For more from Pedrosa, Marquez and HRC on the Motorland Aragon incident, see tomorrow’s MCN.