Two Max Racing team mechanics stopped Adrián Fernández driving out of the pits in Q2 today in Aragón. Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Principal Hervé Poncharal commented on this bizarre incident.
A completely incomprehensible heated incident occurred today at the Aragon GP in Qualifying 2 of the Moto3 class. Two mechanics from the Sterilgarda Husqvarna Factory Team of Max Biaggi and Peter Öttl trudged in front of the neighboring Red Bull KTM Tech3 pits and prevented Adrián Fernández (he is the younger brother of MotoGP rider Raúl) from leaving the pit lane.
“They even grabbed his front brake,” wondered Tech3 team owner and IRTA President Hervé Poncharal. “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my entire career. Apparently they wanted to prevent Adrián from sticking to the rear wheel of Husqvarna rider Sasaki. I have no idea why they did that. Because in the Moto3 class, everyone follows everyone else.”
In addition, both the Husky team and the Tech3 team belong to the empire of Pierer Mobility in Austria.
got on twitter the video of the incident more than 300,000 clicks within a few hours.
An angry Hervé Poncharal made representations to Race Director Mike Webb in the afternoon, who indicated that the incident had been observed and would be referred to the MotoGP Stewards Panel. “But there will probably be no punishment. Because you can’t punish the driver for the actions of the mechanics,” said the French Tech3 team owner.
Well, it wasn’t always like that. At the Losail Circuit in 2004, when Valentino Rossi’s crew of mechanics scrubbed Rossi’s grid spot for the sandy next day with brooms and then burned out the spot with scooters, the driver was put in last place on the grid for the race at the time.
Max Biaggi himself described the behavior of his affected team members as “unacceptable”, apologized to Tech3 and Adrián Fernández and announced the consequences. “It was an unsolicited action, dangerous and unjustifiable. Therefore, those responsible will be punished accordingly.”
In fact, the rulers still reacted on Saturday evening: The FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel fined both team members who “aggressively and dangerously” disturbed a rider from another team, each with a fine of 2000 euros. They are also not allowed to take part in the Grand Prix in Australia (October 16) and Malaysia (October 23).
This was done because a disqualification of the people concerned for the next two races in Japan and Thailand could have posed a potential safety risk for the driver because the travel regulations would not allow the two mechanics to be replaced at such short notice.
By the way: Adrián Fernández drove alongside Romano Fenati in the Husky team in 2021, apparently the Spaniard didn’t make any friends there.
Moto3 result Q2, Aragón (September 17th):
1. Guevara, GASGAS, 1:57.868 min
2. Sasaki, Husqvarna, + 0,095 sec
3. Baggy, KTM, +0.169
4. Suzuki, Honda, +0.403
5. McPhee, Husqvarna, + 0,428
6. Foggia, Honda, + 0.495
7. Ortola, KTM, + 0.536
8. Masia, KTM, + 0,539
9. Nepa, KTM, + 0,680
10. Artigas, CFMOTO, +0.807
Further:
12. Garcia, GASGAS, +1,007
13. Pioneer, KTM, +1,166
15. Adrian Fernández, KTM, +1,361