LECUONA SAYS HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND MORBIDELLI’S SPRINT MOVE AFTER SILVERSTONE CRASH

Iker Lecuona said he was left “puzzled” by the opening-lap incident with Franco Morbidelli in the Silverstone MotoGP Sprint, which ultimately forced him to retire. After progressing from Q1 into Q2 earlier in the day, Lecuona started the Sprint from 12th. Morbidelli was positioned a row ahead, and the two came together in the early stages.

Lecuona explained that he felt faster than Morbidelli and believed he had already made multiple passes before the situation escalated. “In the race, a problem with Morbidelli in that case,” he said. “I overtake him three times, he started to lose some time with Joan [Mir]. I go much faster than him, honestly I feel very good on the bike.”

From Lecuona’s viewpoint, the key issue was the nature of Morbidelli’s move. “I don't understand why he did that movement, because he go completely straight,” he said. He added that while he believed he was able to avoid direct contact because he was quicker at picking up the bike, the outcome was still decisive once he tried to carry speed through the dirt banking area. “We don't have contact because I'm fast to pick up the bike, but when I apply the banking on the dirt area, I lose the rear, I cannot do anything.”

Lecuona also questioned the timing and logic of the early-race fighting, pointing out that the Sprint is only nine laps. “I don't understand why he did that movement in the beginning of the race, because it's just nine laps still,” he said. “You know, or that kind of fighting, because he lost already half-a-second compared to Joan, so why I cannot try to push and you follow me to catch the group again? It's some movement that honestly I don't understand for the first lap of the race.”

Despite the retirement, Lecuona said he felt confident and believed he could have finished in the points. “I feel very sad for the team, because they did a really good job, I did a really good job, and for sure I finish in the points, I'm sure, because I have a lot of confidence,” he said. He also highlighted positives from his start and tyre feel, noting “a really good start” and “good fight” with Morbidelli, along with confidence on the front tyre. “Also I have like 40 km less than the other one, so I'm more fresh for tomorrow!”

Morbidelli, meanwhile, framed the incident as a racing moment that involved him running wide. “We [Morbidelli and Lecuona] spoke earlier and, you know, first laps and I made an overtaking on him,” Morbidelli said. “Probably I was a bit wide and he went wide as well. Probably he went, maybe, on a dirty part of the track and he crashed.”

Morbidelli concluded by stressing that communication had taken place after the incident. “I mean we spoke now and everything was fine.”