ards, which Spencer chairs,
of serious inconsistency and
serial unfairness, and further
condemning a system where
the panel's decisions require no
explanation or justification, and
admit no further investigation.
A law unto themselves.
Resentment had been build-
ing during a season with many
penalties, some rather arbitrary,
and when other expected penal-
ties were missed. It blew up at
half-past four on race day in Hol-
land, almost two hours after the
race was over.
That was when the stewards
announced that title leader Fabio
Quartararo was to be punished
with a long-lap penalty at the
next round at Silverstone for "be-
ing overly ambitious and causing
contact with [Aleix Espargaro],
which severely impacted their
race."
Quartararo, lying third and
seeing leader Pecco Bagnaia
moving away, had made a lunge
inside the Aprilia rider into the
first-gear hairpin, and lost the
front. He hit Espargaro and
slid off, the Spaniard stayed on
board but was punted off the
track and out of the top ten. He
clawed his way back to a heroic
fourth.
A racing incident? Looked like
it.
Certainly less of a blunder
than Nakagami's two races be-
fore in Catalunya. Up from 12th
on the grid to fourth in a demon
getaway, Taka then went barrel-
ling into the first corner hard on
T
he bloke who hands down
punishment to miscreant
riders is never going to win
a popularity contest. What he
might hope to earn is respect.
Alas, for racing legend Fred-
die Spencer, respect seems
equally elusive. Once called
"Fast Freddie" for his sublime tal-
ent on a factory Honda, breath-
takingly winning three world
championships with an ability to
gallop away on cold tires, the
latest internet meme has rechris-
tened him "Farce Freddie," after
the latest Assen sanctions.
Well, that's just vulgar abuse.
Typical internet trolling, best
shrugged off. Harder to take,
perhaps, is a stinging rebuke
from the head of Yamaha Rac-
ing, accusing the Panel of Stew-
P136
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
FAST FREDDIE
AND THE FARCICAL
FANDANGO
