Argentina MotoGP: Espargaro blasts Pramac 'contact' statement

Update: It's safe to say Aleix Espargaro does not agree with the Pramac team.

In response to their initial statement...

In response to a tweet from Pramac team manager Francesco Guidotti saying: "Anyway @Petrux9 has been softer than you with #dovizioso #argentina 2017!! You stop bullshit and try to dolce in safety commission not Twitter."

In response to a tweet saying: "Please do not defend Marc! As much as I think you are a great person, this is bad for you. Have the feeling you will lose fans and reputation because of this!"

Alma Pramac Racing has released the following statement criticising comparisons between the Petrucci-Espargaro incident and those of Marquez-Rossi and Zarco-Pedrosa, during Sunday's Argentina MotoGP.

After the race Aleix Espargaro, who was hit by Marc Marquez before the reigning champion collided with Valentino Rossi at the same turn later in the race, said:

"He [Marquez] hit me very, very hard. But Petrucci did exactly the same to me, in Turn 2. The same or even harder.

"So the IRTA people need to pay attention because it's not fair that Marc has been penalised but not Petrucci, who hit me harder."

The Pramac statement does not directly respond to Espargaro's claim that it was 'not fair' to penalise Marquez, but not Petrucci.

However, the team are clearly unhappy that some are now adding Petrucci's name to the two other incidents, which ended with a rider on the floor:

'Alma Pramac Racing wants to express its disappointment reading some media comments on Danilo Petrucci’s race.

'The contact between Danilo Petrucci and Aleix Espargaro did not cause any consequences for the continuation of the race of both riders but is nonetheless being considered in the same way as the contact that saw Johann Zarco and Marc Marquez oust Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi from the race.

'Danilo Petrucci himself was touched by Syahrin on the last lap, having to widen his trajectory and allow Andrea Iannone to pass.

'In the hope that these reflections can be shared or analyzed by the same media, we give all our fans an appointment in Austin with the commitment to continue to give Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller the great emotions felt during the first two weekends of the 2018 MotoGP season.'