– On the MotoGP training day for the Catalan Grand Prix, there were several crashes that ultimately ended without serious injury. Under cloudy skies and a cool outside temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, the morning training session was particularly challenging for tire temperature.
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Jorge Martin crashed around halfway through the training in turn 12. This is the first right-hand corner in the last section of the track. There is not much runoff area on the outside there. Airfences are placed in front of the track boundary.
Martin’s Aprilia hit the Airfence almost unbraked. Martin followed his bike and also collided. On the TV images, this was not clearly visible because the camera was behind the guardrail.
“I am fine,” says Martin, emphasizing that he was also lucky in this situation: “I can consider myself lucky that nothing happened in the morning because I think it was a dangerous and really frightening crash for me.”
“I think it is really dangerous to crash there. I don’t like to say it, but it reminds me very much of Luis Salom. When I crashed, I immediately thought of him.”
“Fortunately, the motorcycle turned so that I flew into the fairing and not into the handlebars or other parts,” Martin reports. “It is definitely a place where improvements are necessary because it is really dangerous.”
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Luis Salom’s fatal accident. The Spaniard crashed on June 3, 2016, during the second Friday training of the Moto2 class in turn 13. The runoff area of turn 13 was asphalted at that time.
Salom’s motorcycle slid over the asphalt and hit the Airfence. It was levered out. Since there was no gravel trap separating rider and motorcycle, Salom slid into the Airfence the same way and was hit by his motorcycle.
After the MotoGP switched to the chicane layout in the last sector in 2016 and 2017 following Salom’s accident, the original layout was restored from 2018 when an extended gravel trap was rebuilt in turn 13.
Cool temperatures partly responsible for Martin’s crash
Martin knows the cause of his crash: “I had more lean angle and more brake than in the previous lap. We had great difficulty in the morning getting temperature into the front tire.”
“And if you don’t push, the tire doesn’t warm up, and then you can’t get out of this cycle. The problem is definitely more on the left side, but it also occurred on the right side.”
“So we really have to be careful. At that moment I wanted to follow Fabio just to warm up the tire, and then I crashed. As I said, I am glad nothing happened to me today and I can continue working tomorrow.”
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Riders point out problem area, nothing changes
Martin’s crash in turn 12 was also a big topic in the MotoGP paddock late in the afternoon. Some riders expressed concerns that the track boundary there is too close to the track.
Last year’s winner Alex Marquez sharply criticizes: “It won’t be the first or last time we say this corner is not safe enough, but so far, as you can see, nothing has changed.”
So the riders have been pointing out this problem area for a while? “Yes,” says the Gresini rider, “because when you get there, you just see the wall. I think last year in the race Rins crashed there and hit the wall.”
“So this is something that needs to be solved. This also applies to many similar places on other tracks. It is true that sometimes it is difficult or involves great effort because of the grandstands built there.”
“But I think we need more gravel there. In my opinion, that could be a solution.” Alex Marquez is not alone among the riders with this view. The problem area is being discussed in the safety commission.
A total of seven crashes in both MotoGP training sessions
In the morning training, there were two more crashes, but at a different location. KTM riders Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder crashed during the direction change in turn 2. In the afternoon training, there were four crashes.
Alex Rins (Yamaha) crashed in turn 5, Joan Mir (Honda) in turn 10, and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse-Aprilia) in turn 2. And Martin also had his second crash of the day in this turn 2.
After the morning crash, Martin had pain in his left forearm. MotoGP chief doctor Angel Charte was also in the Aprilia box during the afternoon training. But Martin reassures that he is okay.
“I am fine, really fine. Fortunately, we have great doctors and I have great physiotherapists. In the second run, I didn’t feel anything from the first crash anymore.” Martin finally finished Friday in 17th place.
That means he has to compete in Q1 for the first time this season. “That’s part of our sport,” he takes it pragmatically. “There are days when you have to push more than usual, when you suffer more than usual. Tomorrow I have another chance for Q2.”
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