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Honda rider Pedrosa wants 'more respect' from MotoGP race direction

Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has called for "more respect" from MotoGP's race direction in the wake of his collision with Jorge Lorenzo in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Lorenzo was forced wide by Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso at Jerez's Turn 6 right-hander in Sunday's race and cut back to reclaim position, only to clash with Pedrosa - who was trying to pass the two bikes on the inside.

The resulting incident eliminated all three riders from the race, with Pedrosa suffering a nasty crash as he was thrown into the air from his bike.

FIM stewards looked into the incident but announced shortly after the race concluded that they would take no further action.

Pedrosa aired his grievances with the stewards' decision making and argued he was not treated appropriately when he visited race direction to discuss the matter.

"I went there, to speak with race direction, because I want to understand them," he said.

"I was on the inside, I was in the correct line of the track? 'Yes'. They [the Ducatis] were outside, they were coming back from the mistake, so they were rejoining the correct line of the track? 'Yes'.

"So when you are on the line, who has the preference, the guy who is inside or the guy who is outside? 'The guy who is inside'.

"OK, then, whose fault [is the crash]? 'OK, [but] we already made our decision'.

"I want them to understand correctly what is happening on the track, because they don't.

"Sometimes they don't face things. I can barely walk, and I went there, and race director Mr Mike Webb didn't even want to join the meeting. He was next door.

"I deserve a little bit more respect than this."

In the aftermath of Marc Marquez's clashes with Aleix Espargaro and Valentino Rossi in Argentina, the MotoGP stewards panel - comprising Webb and two FIM stewards - was instructed to impose tougher penalties for crashes.

Pedrosa, who broke his wrist in an airbourne crash in Argentina when he was forced wide onto a wet patch by Johann Zarco, was aggrieved by both the Zarco run-in and the Lorenzo clash being deemed "racing incidents".

"It was a race incident for me in Argentina, it wasn't for Marc with Vale, but Zarco and me, yes," he said.

"This time, OK, Lorenzo maybe didn't see me, didn't look, expect me there or whatever.

"But he didn't pick up the bike [and] boom, we end up crashing. And again [it's a] race incident."

He stressed that he did not want to appeal the Lorenzo clash decision, however, as this would have pitted him against the Ducati rider.

"They said, 'OK, if you don't agree our decision' - which I don't - 'make an appeal'," Pedrosa recalled.

"I'm not angry but I'm disappointed that they [the stewards] give the responsibility to the riders.

"Because I would appeal, then it looks like I go against Jorge.

"But, no, I am going against their decision, which is different."

Zdroj: autosport.com