VOLUME ISSUE MAY , P131
him, it showed weakness, with
stewards reliably either over- or
under-reacting. No consistency.
Freddie has volunteered for
criticism when he became chief
of the stewards, appointed in
2019 to take over discipline
from the over-burdened Race
Director.
Rather surprisingly, Freddie
has resolutely declined to be
interviewed, eschewing any
chance to explain himself. This
has reinforced an impression of
arrogance. Perhaps unfairly.
Anyone (like me) old enough
to remember Freddie's racing
days will know it is more com
-
plicated than that.
Freddie stood alone, like
Rossi and Marquez in their glory
days. He really was a fantastic
rider.
He took the 500 title from
Kenny Roberts in 1983 (though
had there been stewards then to
punish his last-lap indiscretion
in Sweden, it would have gone
the other way) and the 250/500
double in 1985. And then it all
went haywire. As though he had
forgotten how to ride.
He was always highly enig-
matic. Here's one story: The
team and tire folks all went to
Brazil or somewhere for pre-
season testing, but Freddie
didn't turn up.
So, when he went, almost
overnight, from superstar to
also-ran, it may have been a
little easier to understand.
Actually, no, it wasn't. It just
added to the mystery.
Back to Jerez, fellow veteran
Espargaro had knocked Zarco
off in a failed overtake.
Called to the stewards, with
their plethora of different TV
angles and all-knowing ac
-
cord, one might have expected
Espargaro to get a rap on the
knuckles at least, and Zarco to
have been pleased about it.
Not so.
"Spencer was looking at me
like he wanted to know what
I wanted," Zarco was quoted.
"He wanted for me to complain
about Aleix … he was waiting
for me to do this."
"I said 'I will not complain.
Don't ask me what you have to
do.' [I] said he is not good for
this job because he doesn't take
the right decision in the right
moments. You are not in the
right place."
He was evidently vehement
enough to be kicked out of the
room but remained unrepen-
tant.
As always, the stewards
were inconsistent during a very
busy weekend. For example,
Joan Mir was upset that Marc
Marquez was only told "lose
one place" after barging hard
into him in the Sprint. The year
before, Mir had been given a
double long-lap for a similar
offence.
The stewards may have had
good reason for this dispar-
ity, but their voluntary omerta
means we will never know.
And Freddie will carry on bear-
ing the brunt of the hostility.
CN
