Launched at more than 270 km / h in a straight line during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix (Jerez), Aleix Espargaro broke into a cold sweat when he saw a cat land on the left of the track. The animal, very carefree despite the din reigning on the circuit, quietly crossed the track when the racing car arrived at full speed in the sector. Fortunately, the Aprilia rider had the reflex to release the gas and make a small gap to avoid the drama.
Was Espargaro disturbed by this unexpected encounter? A few moments later, he crashed very seriously on the exit of the corner before finishing his race in the gravel clearance zone.
Encounters with animals on MotoGP circuits are quite common. It is not uncommon for pilots to collide with seagulls, for example. In Australia, kangaroos sometimes appear on the Phillip Island circuit. Recently, a cobra was even seen in Malaysia!
Randy de Puniet, former MotoGP rider commenting on Canal even revealed that a Japanese rider had hit a deer in the Czech Republic a few years ago in 250cc. The latter escaped unscathed, as did the cat, a surprise guest this Saturday in Spain, who turned back at full speed after seeing the Italian racing car up close.