Johann Zarco questions Marc Marquez over Jerez pitlane entry: ‘He shouldn’t have won the race’

Johann Zarco believes Marc Marquez should not have been declared the winner of the the Spanish Grand Prix sprint, questioning the legality of the Spaniard’s actions after his late crash.

Reigning MotoGP champion Marquez took victory in chaotic, mixed-weather race at Jerez after falling at the final corner, switching bikes as the rain intensified, and then charging back through the field.

But the sequence following his crash has raised eyebrows. As the rain picked up and several riders headed to the pits to change bikes, Marquez initially chose to stay out, only to crash at the final corner. After picking the bike up, he waited for the pack to pass before heading to the pits.

However, Marquez did not follow the conventional route into the pitlane, cutting across the track – and even riding briefly on the grass – to reach the entry. Race Direction did not investigate the incident.

The crash ultimately proved beneficial, as mistakes from rivals, including his brother Alex Marquez, combined with overtakes on Fermin Aldeguer and Bagnaia allowed him to recover and win.

Speaking to Canal+, Zarco expressed his doubts over the move.

“For me, he shouldn’t win the race, because when he crashes at the last corner, it already means he had decided not to come into the pits,” said the Frenchman. “So if he is at Turn 13 and then comes back to the pits, it means he is going back, and you don’t go back on track.”

Marquez did not ride against the direction of the circuit, instead cutting across it perpendicularly, which likely explains the lack of investigation. But Zarco remains unconvinced.

“If there is no penalty, it’s honestly very strange,” he added. “Then people will say he knows the rules better than anyone else, but I don’t think so. He just had a lot of luck.

“For me, he shouldn’t win the race, but we’ll see what the stewards decide. He took a big risk, otherwise he would have come in one lap too late.

“Maybe he would still have been faster than the others, but without winning. Because to win or be on the podium, you had to pit one lap earlier.

“I think he shouldn’t win this race because his decision was already made: ‘I’ll maybe come in next lap’. Then he crashes and says, ‘OK, I’ll go into the pits’. Normally, that shouldn’t be possible.”

Marquez’s victory allowed him to close to within 24 points of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.

Additional reporting by Téha Courbon

Photos from Spanish GP – Saturday

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