MotoGP
MotoGP race winner Bagnaia in road crash while over alcohol limit
MotoGP race winner Francesco Bagnaia could face a driving ban after he was found to have crashed his car in Ibiza while over the legal alcohol limit.
Lewis Duncan
Edited: Jul 6, 2022, 10:57 AM
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According to reports in Spanish outlet Diario de Ibiza, Bagnaia crashed a Citroen into a ditch on the side of a road in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The Guardia Civil and local police arrived at the scene and performed a breathalyser test on the driver, who was identified as Bagnaia.
Bagnaia gave a reading of 0.87mg/l, which is three times the legal alcohol level of 0.25mg/l allowed for drivers in Spain to get behind the wheel of a car. The Ducati rider was the only person involved in the incident and there were no reported injuries.
Ducati has since confirmed the reports upon request from Motorsport.com, while Bagnaia later issued a statement on his social media channels explaining what happened and apologising.
“Last night I was in Ibiza with my friends for a part during this break from MotoGP,” Bagnaia wrote. “We celebrated and toasted to together for my victory at the Dutch GP. As I was leaving the disco at 3am, I was facing a roundabout when I ended up with the front wheels in a ditch without involving other vehicles or people.
“However, the alcohol test carried out by the police found that the blood alcohol level was higher than what is allowed by Spanish law.
“I am sorry for what happened; I am practically a non-drinker, and it was a serious carelessness that should not have happened.
“I apologise to everyone, and I can assure that you that I have learned my lesson. Never get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. Thank you.”
Bagnaia is now potentially facing a ban on his license, with this offence coming with a penalty of one to four years suspension from driving.
Ducati has not made any public comment on the incident.
This has come just two weeks after Bagnaia capped off the first half of the 2022 MotoGP season with victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The Italian started from pole and capitalised on a collision for championship leader Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro on lap five of the race to open up a sizeable lead, from which he kept VR46 Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi at bay.
It was Bagnaia’s third win of the season, following successes at his home race at Mugello and at the Spanish GP at Jerez.
But four DNFs in 2022 so far have severely battered Bagnaia’s title hopes, with the Italian now 66 points adrift of Quartararo coming into the summer break.
Earlier in the year Ducati announced it had re-signed Bagnaia for two more years, holding onto the seven-time MotoGP race winner through to the end of 2024.
The identity of his team-mate at the factory Ducati squad next year remains a mystery, with the Italian manufacturer set to take a decision on whether to promote either Jorge Martin or Enea Bastianini after the Austrian GP in August.
Read Also:
- Bagnaia was “terrified” of crashing out again in Assen MotoGP race
- Quartararo “complained too much” about Yamaha in early 2022 MotoGP races
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