Many years ago we would not even be here talking about it. The problem of overtaking, hard or otherwise, was something to be solved between riders. Behavior and riding conduct were dictated to each other by the best. There were the fits of anger, like the one between Freddie Spencer and Kenny Roberts at Anderstorp in 1983, a daring maneuver that, moreover, at Imola gave Fast Freddie the title over King Kenny by just two points, but it was all agreed that racing was not classical music.
If you happened to go to the parc ferme, after the Grand Prix was over, you would have noticed that many fairings were marked. No one complained, or rather: grievances were settled face to face. The Race Judges didn't have any say in the matter.
Today, things are very different, but not better, because the Stewards Panel chaired by Spencer himself (the post in 2025 will pass to Simon Crafar) is at least undecided.
We had yet another demonstration of this last Sunday when Bastianini's overtaking move in turn 4 on Martin, which gave him the victory, was not even put under investigation.
Yet there was contact, Jorge went wide and so did Enea. We are not saying that not sanctioning him was wrong, but a moment of attention - according to the current parameters - would have been necessary to then initiate a 'no-action'. When form is also substance.
"I don't understand. I am very disappointed. I don't understand what the board of sporting commissioners is doing," Espargaro said, "I have no words, there was contact, both of them went off the track and they were not even put under investigation. It doesn't make sense. I'm a bit worried, because the message they are sending to all the riders is that you can already do what you want," Espargaro concluded.
Of the same opinion appeared Marc Marquez: "I saw the replay and Enea failed to keep the bike within the limits of the track. So, he should have given up the position. I agree that that is the only way to overtake with these bikes, but the fact is that he went over the curb. That's where the problem arises - Marc explained - My point of view is the same as always: in motorcycle racing, and especially in the current MotoGP, if you have to overtake you have to do it that way, especially if you are so close. Bastianini did everything very well until he touched the blue, meaning he went over the curb and therefore off the track. If that had not happened, then nothing would have happened. The overtaking was aggressive, but it was clean. It was borderline overtaking on the last lap. Enea passed me the same way at Assen. I went wide and I didn't say anything, because that's part of racing. But whoever overtakes must always stay inside the track. Once the tyres are out, from my point of view, you lose a position. In the end, these are things that happen. It is simply a matter of having a clear criterion on what can and cannot be done."
Read both critiques well: neither Aleix Espargarò nor Marc Marquez are talking about penalties, but simply pointing to the fact of 'how an overtaking move should be done,' rather than to any minor collision.
And they do so because they want to understand what is permissible or not to do. In short, here they are calling for legal certainty rather than sanction. And you can't blame them.
Now you know that we are anything but politically correct. We like decisive behavior and we hate half words and hiding, but on the horizon is the arrival of Liberty Media and we fear that things will change drastically.
Already because at Misano 2 there was not only Bastianini's decisive overtaking move, but also Jorge Martin's decidedly unelegant umbrella gesture at the moment when he crossed the finish line. To us boomers these things make us smile, but the somewhat hard-boiled Americans don't like them, and we remind you that in Singapore Verstappen was given a 'community service' sentence to cleanse himself of having used inappropriate language during Thursday's press conference. The reason, of course, is that a champion must set an example for young people.
Meditate, people, meditate.