The pair got here collectively on monitor at Flip 6 within the early phases of the Qatar weekend’s third apply session on Saturday morning, as Espargaro tried to overhaul.
Aprilia rider Espargaro gesticulated furiously at Morbidelli and later slapped him on his crash helmet when the latter motioned to him to settle down.
Espargaro was given a €10,000 fine and hit with a six-place grid penalty for Sunday’s grand prix, which can put him on the identical row of the grid as Morbidelli.
Nonetheless, Espargaro might not participate within the race after struggling a suspected fracture in his left leg after an incident in the sprint.
Morbidelli feels the FIM stewards’ punishment handed right down to Espargaro isn’t sturdy sufficient and raged on the conflict.
“This morning I used to be having my apply after which Alex Marquez crashed in Flip 2 and there was a yellow flag,” he started.
“So, [Jorge] Martin slowed down in entrance of me. I slowed down. However, by the point we reached Flip 4, Aleix overtook me. Then I overtook him again as a result of I wished to get again my unique place.
“Then he overtook me like loopy into Flip 6, virtually crashing and virtually making me crash.
“Once I was attempting to inform him to take it straightforward as a result of, after he banged on me, he obtained indignant and began to make unhealthy gestures, as he at all times does.
“Once I was telling him to take it straightforward, to sit back out, he did what you all noticed. It’s an enormous disrespect motion in direction of me.
“It’s tough to take, however I take it and the stewards have been analysing all the pieces and took the countermeasures that they thought was proper.
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Staff
“In response to me, they did nothing as a result of what they did really was to place him by my facet for tomorrow’s race and make him race in at the moment’s race as if nothing occurred.
“So, for me they did nothing – what he did at the moment was such an enormous disrespect in direction of one other competitor, in different sports activities it could have been handled in a a lot completely different approach. So, it’s OK, I hold going.”
When it was put to him that Espargaro’s response appeared unusual for a apply session that counted in direction of nothing, Morbidelli was scathing towards the Spaniard.
“You’ve seen him overreacting many, many occasions in his profession,” he added.
“He has far more episodes to be ashamed of than to be pleased with. I ponder what he’ll say to his youngsters.”
Nonetheless, Morbidelli didn’t wish to be drawn into what penalty he thought would have been appropriate.
“I don’t wish to say what’s an applicable punishment, however placing him by my facet in tomorrow’s race is joking with us,” he mentioned.
“Additionally, that is disrespectful, as a result of they gave him precisely six positions for tomorrow’s race and he can be by my facet.
“I wish to see him 100 metres from me at all times – as a substitute, he can be by my facet.”
Espargaro has cancelled all of his media duties for Saturday after the fracture in his leg was found.