MotoGP rider's wife sparks controversy with video of Jorge Martin's race start
Martin's race start attracted attention online (Credit: Apex Agency)
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Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
The world of MotoGP social media has been set ablaze by an unlikely source - Aleix Espargaro’s wife.
The three-time premier-class race winner took part in his first race weekend of the season in Indonesia, and his wife Laura was there to witness it.
Yet it was one moment she saw not involving Espargaro that caused fans to flood her Instagram comments.
The former Aprilia rider didn’t take part in Sunday’s feature race, and his wife videoed him watching from the sidelines.
Espargaro's wife captures moment involving Marquez's rival
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Posting the moment they caught the start together, Espargaro can be seen watching compatriot Jorge Martin get going from fifth on the grid.
However, before he sets off for the start, his bike moves forward slightly, causing some to call it a jump start.
The video doesn’t show the start lights, making it impossible to determine if it was a jump start.
Furthermore, MotoGP stewards didn’t punish the incident, let alone note it, suggesting nothing went awry.
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Fans question Martin's start after unusual footage emerges
It did, though, show just how tense this season’s title fight is, with numerous fans tagging MotoGP in their comments to try and get their attention.
There is also a question over whether what Martin did would have even constituted a jump start had it come before the lights went out.
What MotoGP's jump-start regulations actually say
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Article 1.18.13 of MotoGP’s sporting regulations says the front wheel must be positioned ‘up to and behind the front line, within the side markings that define each position’.
The tyre also cannot touch the track surface outside the painted lines, which isn’t clear from the footage.
The next rule, 1.18.14, says a motorcycle must be stationary when the lights go out, and Martin appears to stop moving before he then gets away.
Either way, it wasn’t a great start for Martin, who was overtaken by Fermin Aldeguer and dropped to sixth at the start.
He would later climb back up to third, with title rival Marc Marquez in sixth, allowing Martin to retake the riders’ championship lead by two points.
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Martin had a rather strange weekend, leading Saturday's sprint race with ease before giving up first place to Marquez. He then caught his rival up, before going off track and finishing fourth.
Explaining what happened after the incident, he cited MotoGP's minimum tyre pressure requirements as a reason for intentionally dropping out of the lead.
"It was a mistake with the tyre pressure,” he explained.
“Mandalika is one of those tracks where the temperature drops and the humidity rises in the afternoon, and my tyre was getting cold, which was a problem.
“I tried to push harder to warm it up, but I wasn't able to, and I let Marc pass before attacking again.
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“It's a shame to be out of [tyre] pressure, but that's what I told the team: just as I make mistakes, they make mistakes, and we're here to win and lose together.”
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