Sparks on the track and in the post-race between Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea. Ducati appeals to the FIM Court of Appeal for a more severe sanction.
The world championship challenge in SBK World Championship ignites after the Magny Cours weekend. It had been a diplomatic and tension-free season so far, with a three-way match at the limits of sporting fairness. But everything changes after Race 2 on French soil, due to a touch between Jonathan Rea and Alvaro Bautista on lap 2, with the Spaniard ending up on the ground and forced to retire.
In Ducati they are furious after the incident and announce that they are appealing to the FIM Court of Appeal, because they believe the sanction imposed on the Kawasaki rider is too mild. Jonathan Rea he had to serve a Long Lap Penalty which caused him to lose 2.5 seconds. Not enough according to Alvaro Bautista and his garage which they believe was necessary for the six-time world champion who, according to them, would have cut the trajectory of the former MotoGP Spaniard.
Alvaro Bautista accuses his rival
The Race Direction has sanctioned Jonathan Rea with a “long lap”, he crosses the finish line in 5th place and earns 11 points that keep him alive in the race for the SBK World Championship. But Bautista is a flood in the debriefing with the media present at Magny Cours. It should be noted that the Northern Irishman from Kawasaki went to apologize to his opponent after the second match, but it didn’t help to allay his anger. “I do not care. He knows what happened, I know it too, luckily I didn’t do anything“Commented the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider. “I think he knows what he did and what he wanted to do. I have nothing to tell him“.
For Alvaro Bautista it is an intentional maneuver, made with the clear aim of putting it “out”. And it increases the dose: “For me he can be as fast and competitive as he wants, but it’s not like a true champion to do certain things“. The right sanction? “The same thing that happened to me: don’t let him finish the race. It is not a question of points or the championship, but of safety. He did it on purpose. The security commission cannot accept such behavior“.
Now the Emilian manufacturer will appeal, even if it will be difficult to overturn the decision of the FIM Panel. Alvaro retains the lead in the world rankings with a 30-point advantage over his direct rival, who is now called Toprak Razgatlioglu. “If I bump into him again during a race I will be more careful knowing his intentions“, Concluded Bautista. “I hope it won’t happen again in the future“.