When you are a MotoGP racer you are constantly pushing the limits of yourself, your machine, the track and everything else. Regardless of what combination of skill, talent, and training got you there, every race is a chance to prove how good you, your machine, and your team are. Tensions are high and running from elbow to elbow is a given.
When you’re that close, conflict can arise. During the Doha GP on April 4, 2021, Suzuki rider and reigning MotoGP world champion Joan Mir clashed violently with Ducati rider Jack Miller. The first contact came about due to a mistake on my part, which he himself acknowledged. However, Miller’s move was later described by Mir as “super dangerous” after the race on the same lap.
When describing the inciting incident, Mir said, “We both touched a little, then I picked up the bike. It was a maneuver that I understand was risky but not over the limit. “When I watched a video of that particular moment, it seemed like a pretty normal racing incident. I said he raised his leg as an apology afterwards, but it is unclear if this is a well-known and accepted gesture of apology among all racers on the track.
Later on the same lap, Mir went wide in the last corner. When he was back on track, Miller continued the line he was on. The two touched much more violently this time, which almost led to a crash for both of them. Both drivers were able to recover and finish the race, with Joan Mir finishing seventh and Jack Miller ninth. After that, however, Mir called out what he considered to be overly aggressive behavior on Miller’s part.
MotoGP officials reviewed the incident, but ultimately no action was taken. While it seemed to me to be obviously upset in interviews afterward, Miller appeared very calm and said that while it was unhappy, “it is what it is”.
Of course, we can’t know what both drivers saw during the race because the camera angles available just don’t show us that point of view. What do you think of what you see when you watch footage of both incidents? Were these both simple racing events or deliberately dangerous behavior by both drivers? Let us know in the comments.