Valentino Rossi has accused Marc Marquez of using safety measures implemented following the death of Moto2 rider Luis Salom to his advantage and sabotaging his rivals in the process.
SAG Racing rider Salom, 24, died on Friday after a high-speed crash at turn 12 in practice for the Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Following consultations with Salom's family, the riders, teams and the Safety Commission, MotoGP organisers confirmed the race would go ahead but with a revised track configuration.Marquez, who claimed pole for Sunday's race, was among 10 riders to contribute to the decision, while both Rossi and Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo did not attend the meeting.
However, Rossi believes Marquez agreed to a layout change for the benefit of his Honda bike, rather than rider safety at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
"This year I have not been [to the meetings]. I did not think that they would go ahead and change the track," Rossi told Sky Italia.
"I had things to do. It was an error. But they made that decision and I have to accept it. If you don't go, you must abide by what they say.
"With the modifications we suffered a lot. It is possible [Marquez] has done what he's done only because it was better for his motorbike and worse for the others, and not because of a safety issue."
Rossi will start from fifth on the grid in Barcelona, while championship leader Lorenzo lines up just behind Marquez in second.
Comments
SHARE