Marquez: Bike swap safety is 'team's responsibility'

Marc Marquez says it is the responsibility of the team to ensure a rider’s safe entry and exit from pit lane in the event of a bike swap.

The Repsol Honda rider was giving his opinion on the incident involving Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone following a near-miss during the flag-to-flag race at Brno in the Czech Republic.

Ecstar Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone came off after being forced to brake heavily to avoid hitting the Gresini Aprilia of Espargaro, who pulled out in front of the Italian. Espargaro was later penalised three positions by Race Direction while the race was on-going.

Marquez, who clinched a commanding victory on Sunday, said: “I didn’t see, just somebody explained to me. It looks like he go out and Iannone go in, but normally it is a team mistake because normally with my team if they see that somebody is coming, they need to stop me.

“There is one guy in my team that needs to stop me. It’s like Formula 1, if you have a red light, you cannot go out, so more than Aleix mistake or Iannone mistake, it is a team mistake if he goes out and Iannone goes in.

“Normally when you go in there is one mechanic who has the possibility to stop you or to make you allowed to go out, because he needs to check if somebody is coming.”

His team-mate, Dani Pedrosa, was reluctant to give his view on the incident due to lack of knowledge over what had transpired.

“For the reaction of the pits I have no image, no anything, so I can’t just give my opinion like that,” said.

However, Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales – who finished third behind Pedrosa – said he agreed with Marquez that the ultimate responsibility for a safe swap over lay with the team.

“With the accident I don’t know. I don’t see very much but as Marc said, the team have also to be involved in that.”