P1racenews AI automatic summary:
An on-track tangle between Aleix Espargaro and Franco Morbidelli quickly escalated during Saturday practice at the Qatar MotoGP.
In the incident between Aleix’s brother Pol and Marco Bezzecchi, the two riders aimed for the same part of the track and made contact. This time, it was the factory Aprilia and Yamaha riders, Morbidelli and Espargaro, who found themselves in a similar situation. Morbidelli made a close pass on Espargaro, prompting Espargaro to retaliate by lunging his Aprilia inside Morbidelli at the next corner, resulting in contact and both riders running wide. It’s uncertain what might have happened before these passes, as Espargaro seemed visibly angry. When Morbidelli tried to calm the situation by gesturing to Espargaro, the Spaniard responded by slapping Morbidelli’s helmet. Unlike yesterday’s incident involving Pol and Bezzecchi, which saw multiple bumps, this Aleix-Morbidelli incident is now being investigated by the FIM Stewards.
