MotoGP: Pedrosa breaks collarbone after Simoncelli's late tackle

In this author's view, no, they were not.

From a head-on perspective, Simoncelli held the outside line through the first of a series of corners, stayed on the racing line so as to be in position for the second. Pedrosa failed to turn and ran into the back of Simoncelli's bike.

But that, all other angles show, was not what happened: Pedrosa was clearly in front as the pair entered the corner. Simoncelli went in wide and very hot. He then chopped across in front of Pedrosa, so close to Pedrosa's front wheel that he had no chance to avoid a collision. Using every ounce of braking power, Pedrosa all-but stood his bike on its nose just as it clipped the edge of Simoncelli's rear wheel.

Riding hard and putting one's opponent in a difficult position is part of motor-racing. But, if Simoncelli had been playing rugby, he would not have been sent to the sin bin for five minutes: a dangerous tackle of the scale he made on Pedrosa would have resulted in an immediate sending off.

But unlike rugby, motor races are not stopped while officials review the action and make a decision. They have to make quick assessments and judgments - and deliver penalties almost on the hoof.

And that is what they did. But the move was dangerous. Simoncelli had no realistic prospect of making the corners without incident, even without Pedrosa's presence, at the speed and on the line that he used.

Simoncelli is already a figure of concern in the pit lane: he was the subject of a number of complaints for aggressive or dangerous riding at the safety briefing before the French Grand Prix. He says that Pedrosa had tried to overtake him on the straight but "I was faster than him so I tried to overtake him round the outside and when I was a little bit in front of him I started to take the corner. I tried to leave him space to make his own corner.” He argues that Pedrosa's bike was "skipping and he could not control it."

He and his team take the view that it was a racing incident and that they do not understand the penalty. Most riders declined to comment on the incident but Valentino Rossi gave a comment that is almost statesman like in its diplomacy: Simoncelli, he said, was faster than Pedrosa and perhaps he was bit too aggressive at that time - he could have passed him on the next lap.

That is, perhaps the crux of the issue: Simoncelli had caught Pedrosa easily and undoubtedly expected a short dust-up and then he would be on his way to chase Stoner. The red mist almost certainly could not countenance any prospect of being delayed in that objective.

Race result:

Stoner

Dovizioso

Rossi