Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro defended himself after a pitlane incident during Malaysian MotoGP weekend where he hit a photographer as police takes in theft suspects.
A video surfaced on social media of Espargaro returning to his pit box after the end of the Malaysian MotoGP race at Sepang International Circuit, where he is seen colliding with a media personnel, a photographer, there to cover the grand prix.
The incident was certainly not shown on the world feed but a fan just above the Aprilia pit box captured it on his phone and it soon got viral. It eventually reached to Espargaro as well, as the Spaniard defended himself when blamed for the collision.
The Spaniard was returning to his box at a slow speed when he hit the stationary photographer. His view coming in was obstructed with another person stood just in front of the photographer. As he moved away, there was little time for Espargaro to react.
He slowed still but hit the photographer head on. No Aprilia team member were present outside the pit box to alert, either the media person and or the rider. Espargaro was surprised as Aprilia crew rushed out, with the photographer walking away with no injury.
“I did not see the photographer because there is another just before I cover it completely, but what the nose does that photographer is in the middle? The pitlane is not a mall for coffee! Luckily I brake a little and I was going very slowly because otherwise..”
In another tweet, he wrote: “My mother, you have to be ignorant for saying such a barbarity like that. I was going at 30kmh at most and I turn there because my box is there, these people CANNOT be in the middle of the pitlane, it is forbidden, and obviously I do not see him, or do you think What hit him for fun? You have no idea of motorcycles!”
Elsewhere, the KLIA police has taken in three suspects – who are Sepang circuit’s security guards – in relation to the theft on Friday morning, where several teams lost their items, with Angel Nieto’s Moto2 and Moto3 outfit being worst affected.
[Note: As per the FIM and Dorna’s guidelines, we cannot upload the video]
