Sunday at the Emilia-Romagna GP ended in disappointment for both 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), with the Spaniard and Italian crashing out together at Turn 2.
Falling down is allowed, getting up is mandatory
— JoanMir36 (@JoanMirOfficial) October 25, 2021
Thanks @Petrux9 for accepting my apologies ????????
Caer está permitido, levantarse es obligatorio
Gracias Danilo por aceptar mis disculpas ????????@MotoGP @suzukimotogp #EmiliaRomagnaGP pic.twitter.com/Q9oPZgI30q
The incident thankfully saw both riders get straight up onto their feet, as Mir and Petrucci embraced in a fantastic show of sportsmanship. The number 36 tucked the front while up the inside of Petrucci on Lap 3, seeing both of their races end early. Mir’s title defence was over before the Emilia-Romagna GP had begun, but 2020’s king was forced to concede his crown to new king Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) after a disappointing afternoon.
Birthday boy Petrucci was looking forward to his last dance on Italian soil before he moves onto pastures new in 2022. His farewell came to an abrupt end by the incident in question, but Petrucci took to social media to post some classy words about the crash:
My only target last Sunday was to finish the race for say goodbye one last time to my fans from the track, but racing is cruel and I’ve been taken down. But this was my 20th GP on home soil and I’ve been so lucky to have won one of them and to be on the podium other times.Thanks! pic.twitter.com/xZSeUGr2yr
— Danilo Petrucci (@Petrux9) October 26, 2021
Below is a sequence of photos from the Turn 2 crash between the Suzuki and KTM riders, with both now aiming to end their 2021 campaigns on a high in Portimao and Valencia.