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Despite the 250 rpm cut to the Panigale V4R engine, it was the Ducatis that had it all their own way at Barcelona. With victory in Race 1 firmly in the hands of Alvaro Bautista right from the restart, the fight for the runner-up place seemed to be a matter reserved for Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Axel Bassani, who immediately got into a tussle fighting for the remaining two steps of the podium. However, something went wrong and after an initial contact between the two in Turn 3, Rinaldi ended up going for a tumble four turns later, while trying to overtake Bassani.
“A normal overtaking. I was inside, I saw a gap and I slipped in. He rightly tried to close the door so I wouldn't pass and we touched. A race contact. A bit like the overtaking he did on me in Turn 3. In a race it’s acceptable" Axel said, recounting his version of the facts: "I definitely wanted to pass him right away. Not so much because of the contact, but because I wanted to get in front so as not to overheat the front tyre, given that on the restart we had to put on a used one because we no longer had new tyres. I wanted to save the front tyre and make my pace more for that. We touched and I'm sorry he crashed, but that’s racing."
An episode that completely ruined the splendid comeback by the 23-year-old, who started from 14th position and who was sanctioned with a Long Lap Penalty, for the maneuver that led to Rinaldi's crash.
“After I went out I tried to push for a moment to catch them again, but I saw I didn’t have anything more and I tried to manage the rear a bit, but in the end I did the last four laps like I was on rims. I also slid on the straight. It was impossible. Now let's see if we can improve a bit for tomorrow, because yes, I pushed, but in a normal way. I wasn't going 100% in the first laps, but we had a big drop" commented the Motocorsa rider, who added, speaking of the penalty: "I accepted it, in fact I didn't comment. I saw the penalty and I took it. I lost my positions, I ‘ruined' my race and that’s it. If they decided that a penalty should be taken for that overtaking, it was right."
However, the penalty for the Feltre rider was not enough for Rinaldi who, in addition to feeling resentful about not having received an apology or a handshake, had a go at his rival about his possible future as a factory rider, declaring that Bassani "lost a lot more than me today." Strong and clear words, which found Axel's prompt reply.
“That's his point of view. In my opinion what they have to decide they decide on the basis of the results and other things. He's not the team manager, he's just a rider and in my opinion other people should make these comments, not the riders - he observed - He's a contact in the race for me. Just as I was supposed to say sorry to him, maybe he should too, because the contact was the same. Only I lifted the bike and he didn't".
