Amazing that Zarcos ducati stayed upright the length of the gravel trap. Then hits the little chunk of concrete banking that launches the bike over the top of Valentinos bike. Close call or what ?
Yep, he certainly threaded the needle there! It was probably a good job that he didn't have time to react as, if he did, he'd have more than likely been hit by one of the flying bikes. Syahrin's crash in Moto2 was pretty horrific too. I was sure he was going to be dead or close to it, but it turns out he only has bruising !!
If you watch it closely, both bikes fly past Rossi’s nose within a second of each other. And he would have had no idea that anything was happening until, like fighter jets, he was assaulted by two flying bikes. if that doesn’t give him pause for thought on retirement then nothing will.
He certainly looked visibly shocked and shaken when he got back to the garage. What a hero for going back out there, I don’t think I would have
That was THE Freakiest accident ! Amazing nobody got killed. I don't think I could have climbed back on after that so soon ....
Wow! , haven't watched the race yet, no wonder Rossi looked a little shell-shocked, I think he dodged a bullet for sure , that can have one of two effects normally, 1 - make you feel invincible or, 2 - make you question your career choice! will watch the race to decide which way Rossi felt!
I paraphrase General Stonewall Jackson -God has appointed the time of my death, it'll do me no good to worry about it.
Stonewall Jackson had a somewhat Calvinist faith. I am less fatalistic about predetermination...... Suffice to say I have long put Zarco in the same bracket as MM, Schumacher and other racers whose skill is undoubted but their sportsmanship? Not so much......
This was so nearly an absolute tragedy. Any rider dying on the track is terrible news but for Rossi and everything he's done and stands for it would be a huge blow, not only to bike sport but to the sporting world in general. I remember him being visibly shaken when his good friend Marco Simoncelli was killed right in front of him at Sepang a few years back. Racers at this level are usually pretty good at putting incidents like this being them but who knows?
Rossi's guardian angel must have been riding pillion with him! And probably a choir of angels singing away happily for him at the same time!!
Well, with Rossi as an exception at this point in his career, most of those guys are young men in their 20s. Even not counting them being motorcycle racers, they are inclined to think they are invincible...and perhaps even immortal.
Meanwhile Zarco and others are having their interview without coffee today. I think that simultaneously sucking someone into your slipstream up against the kerb and then slamming on the anchors may prove ticklish to explain away as anything other than ‘overly aggressive’. The consequences owe much to track design.