Franco Morbidelli is fed up. The 30-year-old Pertamina Enduro VR46 rider thinks Aleix Espargaró is out to get him. Their latest clash happened at the British GP. Morbidelli was making a turn when Espargaró crashed into him. The incident was serious enough to bring out the red flag. But everyone got to restart the race.
A Familiar Story
This isn’t the first time these two have collided. In 2020, at Misano, Espargaró took Morbidelli down, costing him a second-place finish and points in the championship. Morbidelli is still angry about it. “I was making my turn, and once again, Aleix crashed into me,” he said. “It’s not the first time. He did the same thing in 2020. He risked everything just to not let me pass, and he crashed into me again. It was a nasty accident. I’m hurt. I don’t know if I have anything broken, but I’m focusing on the positive – our incredible performance when we restarted the race.”
Different Perspectives
Espargaró took responsibility for the crash, saying he was sorry for what happened. He tried to talk to Morbidelli about it, but Morbidelli wasn’t having it. “He told me, ‘You hit me again!’ And I said, ‘You need to watch the replay. I didn’t hit you. I crashed, and my bike hit you.'” Espargaró thinks Morbidelli didn’t hear him out.
Later, on social media, Espargaró seemed to laugh off Morbidelli’s comments, even joking that Morbidelli was “obsessed” with him. The tweet got a lot of attention, with some people finding it funny and others thinking it was insensitive.
What’s Next
Morbidelli confirmed on Tuesday that he has a fractured foot. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out of commission. As for Espargaró, he’s set to make his debut with the Lidl Trek team in July. The two riders will likely cross paths again soon. Will they be able to put their differences aside, or will their rivalry continue to heat up? Only time will tell.