Though Pramac Ducati rider Morbidelli began Sunday’s Portimao three positions forward of Mir in seventeenth, a poor getaway dropped him into the clutches of his Honda rival via the opening sequence of corners.
As they battled for place, Morbidelli made contact with Mir in an incident not captured on TV, sending the Spaniard extensive and dropping him to twenty first place.
Though the manufacturing unit Honda rider was in a position to recuperate to twelfth place, aided by three main riders (Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales) crashing within the final three laps, he felt Morbidelli was just too aggressive given the place he was working in.
“On the primary lap I used to be there overtaking however fairly on the place,” stated the 2020 champion. “In that place it’s a must to keep a bit calm within the first laps.
“That is the fact as a result of it is a huge race and there are quite a lot of bikes in entrance of you and it’s a must to be a bit intelligent, no? Morbidelli wasn’t.
“He simply got here to me. He hit me with quite a lot of velocity. I went out of the observe at Flip 8 and my race was a bit of bit compromised for this downside.”
Mir revealed that his Honda was closely broken from contact with Morbidelli, which affected each his braking in addition to his stability via the corners.
“The rear a part of the bike, the wing tail and all this stuff had been gone,” he stated.
Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Group
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
“I did not have any one in every of them. Additionally the entrance wing was there however was shaking and transferring quite a bit. Additionally the exhaust [was damaged].
“I used to be struggling with out the wings, to cease the bike in Flip 1 was – wah! It was a problem, additionally in Flip 5. It is a disgrace that within the again no person is filming, as a result of it was far.
“I made a great weekend. I am in good type. So let’s transfer to a different one and hope that within the subsequent one which riders on the again assume a bit extra on the primary laps. That will even be safer for everybody.”
Morbidelli fell to the bottom following the incident with Mir, however was in a position to remount on the bike and acquire some essential mileage on the Ducati to take 18th on the flag.
Mir feels Morbidelli didn’t deserve a sanction for the accident, because the crash was sufficient of a penalty for the Italian.
“Effectively, he crashed, no? So he was penalised,” stated the 26-year-old.
“If not, sure. However as a result of he crashed. He did not wish to crash, he does not wish to crash. So that is the penalty that he obtained.”
Morbidelli, in the meantime, defended his driving when Mir’s views had been put to him, downplaying his function of their collision.
Franco Morbidelli, Pramac Racing
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
“It is a part of racing if you find yourself within the group,” stated the Italian.
“I simply went on the within and we touched after which from then on I simply went extensive.”
Former Yamaha rider Morbidelli missed each pre-season exams in Malaysia and Qatar following a severe crash on a Ducati roadbike at Portimao in January, which severely compromised his preparations for his first marketing campaign with the marque.
Nonetheless gaining essential miles on his GP24, Morbidelli took positives from the race at the same time as he ended up final within the order.
“We preserve our studying curve with this bike and I can go house fairly happy,” the 29-year-old stated.
“For positive results-wise not but as a result of within the race I made a mistake. I made a mistake within the begin, I had a nasty begin after which I used to be caught up in a bunch and I went extensive and I crashed.
“After that the race result-wise was just about gone, however really the rhythm was very acceptable and was very respectable.
“In order that’s encouraging as a result of nonetheless I have to be taught all the pieces and I have to get in tune with all the pieces however already some issues we’re realising which can be coming. In order that’s optimistic. I simply have to preserve getting in and I would like to hurry it up.”
