Alvaro Bautista "Rossi mi critica? Ognuno è libero di dire quel che vuole, io parlo in pista" / Alvaro Bautista explains Catalunya near miss with Valentino Rossi

Alvaro Bautista a MCN ritorna sulla sua caduta di domenica al Montmelò, dove è scivolato dopo poche curve dalla partenza e dove per poco non coinvolgeva per la seconda volta consecuitva anche Rossi. Il pilota del team Gresini è infatti scivolato nel cercare di superare Valentino Rossi in staccata. Come riconosciuto dallo stesso Bautista è caduto a causa delle gomme ancora torppo fredde e delle condizioni dell’asfalto particolarmente calde. A suo dire però non ha fatto una manovra molto azzardata, ha cercato di superare Rossi perchè sentiva che lo stava rallentando, anche se a dire il vero una staccata del genere, da o la va o la spacca, può avere senso all’ultimo giro non certo dopo due tornate, qando ancora hai tutta la gara davanti per superare chi ritieni ti stia rallentando.

 “Domenica scorsa mi sentivo sicuramente meno felice di lui (Rossi) – ha affermato Alvaro Bautista – E’ stato davvero un peccato perchè avevo lavorato bene per tutto il weekend. Ero felice prima della partenza perchè avevo fatto una bella qualifica e mi sentivo a posto per la gara. Volevo stare molto attento nelle prime curve ma sentivo che i piloti che mi precedevano mi stavano rallentando perciò ho deciso di passarli subito. Può essere che il tracciato non era nelle stesse condizioni delle prove perchè dopo di me anche altri piloti sono caduti perdento l’anteriore. Non ho frenato forte, credo che il problema era nel tracciato e nella temperaturea delle gomme, ancora troppo fredde. Prima di cadere ho provato a restare dentro la pista perchè gli altri piloti erano sulla traiettoria interna ma sono caduto. Ho provato a passarlo (Rossi) e ovviamente lui ha cercato di mantenere la sua posizione, ci siamo affiancati in staccata ma non ho certo invaso la sua traiettoria. Ho mantenuto la mia linea perchè non volevo colpire nessuno, ma sfortunatamente sono caduto”
Rossi però nel dopogara ha usato parole molto dure nei riguardi di Bautista chiedendo alla Direzione Gara di intervenirte per sanzionarlo e farlo calmare, ma il pilota di Gresini non crede di aver fatto nulla di esagerato. “Molti piloti hanno fatto partenze come la mia in passato. Se le condizioni della pista erano le stesse delle prove non sarei caduto. Ero davvero vicino perciò ho cercato di passarlo. Il più rammaricato dell’accaduto sono io e non certo chi non è caduto. Ognuno è libero di dire quello che pensa, io resto concentrato sulla pista perchè è lì che amo parlare“

Alvaro Bautista has defended himself against fierce criticism from Valentino Rossi after the pair came close to being involved in a controversial first lap collision for the second race in succession in Catalunya last Sunday.
Gresini Honda rider Bautista crashed on the opening lap of his home race while attempting to pass Rossi’s factory Yamaha YZR-M1 for fifth position.
But he lost the front of his RC213V machine and had Rossi not taken evasive action, the sliding machine would have most likely wiped out the Italian.
Coming hot on the heels of a first lap collision between the two in Rossi’s home race at Mugello earlier this month, the nine-times world champion vented his frustration at Bautista in a scathing assessment of his tactics.
Last Sunday’s incident was the fourth time since the end of 2011 that Bautista has been caught up in a major first lap accident and he was penalised in a year ago for knocking out Jorge Lorenzo in Assen with a reckless opening corner move.
Rossi told MCN on Sunday: “For me the behaviour of Bautista is not very clever. In Mugello he made a mistake and he f*** my home race where it was possible for me to have big pain. But one mistake can happen. He cut the line and I was already there so he didn't see me and unfortunately it can happen.
But doing the same in the next race another time with me is very stupid I think. And it was a useless overtake because I was a lot faster than him. For me when Bautista sees me, Lorenzo and the other top guys he becomes a little bit crazy. It is like he has to demonstrate that he is better than us.”
Bautista though reckons a change in track conditions contributed to his crash, as he had not attacked the corner any differently to any other lap over the weekend.
Explaining his version of events to MCN at this week’s Motorland Aragon test, the former world 125GP champion said: “I feel a lot less happy than him (Rossi) about it I’m sure. For sure it was a big disappointment because I’d worked really good all weekend. I was happy before the race because I did a good qualifying and I felt too confident for the race.
I was very careful in the first couple of corners and I felt the riders in front of me were stopping me, s so I decide to overtake them. Maybe the track was not like in the practice because after my crash a few other riders lost the front also and the track was probably different. I didn’t brake any harder than in practice or later but maybe the track condition and tyre temperature was the problem.
I tried to stay on the inside because the other riders were on the outside line and I just crashed. I tried to overtake him and like normal he didn't want to lose the position, so he keep side by side and he was on the outside and I was trying not to go on his line. I tried to do my line because I didn’t want to hit anybody but unfortunately I crashed.”
Having narrowly avoided being taken out, Rossi urged Race Direction to summon Bautista for a chat about his riding.
But Bautista added: “Many riders have done this before. If the conditions were like in the practice I would not have crashed. I was close to overtake him and the most disappointed rider about this is me, and not those who didn’t crash. Everybody is free to say what they think but I just concentrate on the track because that is the best place to speak.”