Márquez and Bagnaia cause drama!

The race in Aragón could have been a perfect day for Álex Márquez, with a victory for his brother Marc and a podium finish for himself. But a collision with Pecco Bagnaia, which knocked both riders out of the race, overshadowed the weekend.

Márquez was fighting for third place when he went slightly off the racing line at Turn 12. “I tried not to make any mistakes and to stay on the line to keep going until the end.” “I went a bit wide at Turn 12 because it was very slippery and we were pushing at the limit,” explained Márquez. “I didn't know who was behind me because my pit board never showed that.” When I turned into Turn 13 I looked for contact and there was nothing I could do.”

Pecco Bagnaia was visibly annoyed after the incident and blamed Márquez for the collision. But Márquez sees it differently: “He can rant against me, I can rant against him.” In the end, that doesn't change the result. For me, the only one who could have avoided the contact is, uh, because he knew I was there. I didn't know he was outside.”

After the race, there was no direct discussion between the two drivers. “We went to the race control separately because that's what they wanted. There were a lot of cameras outside and I didn't want to talk to him while the situation was still heated. But I have a good relationship with Pecco, we know each other well. I'm sad for both of us because the race ended there.”

Until the incident, the race was going well for Márquez. “It wasn't the best, but one of the best Sundays of the year. We were fighting for a podium in Aragón, in front of the home fans. I would have given everything because today was very difficult to overcome and you had to take a lot of risks because the track outside the line was very dirty.”

Despite his own misfortune, Álex Márquez was happy about his brother Marc's victory. “I'm very happy for him, but I'm not going to talk about it here because I'm not in the mood and I couldn't enjoy his victory because I was angry in my truck. But he deserved it because he worked harder than anyone else.”

Physically, Márquez escaped with a few bruises, especially on his left leg. “We were both very lucky because the crash was very ugly.” When asked about the upcoming race in Italy, Márquez remained calm: “I know that some will have one opinion and others another, like in football.” It will be a topic of conversation when people are drinking their coffee. But it won't be a hostile atmosphere. That's just how it is. I experienced that in Mugello too and nothing happened.”

The drama in Aragón will certainly remain a topic of conversation for a long time, but for the drivers it is now a matter of concentrating on the challenges ahead.