Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo expressed his frustration over the current penalty system of the series in the aftermath of his crash with Andrea Iannone in the Catalan Grand Prix.
Lorenzo was hit by Iannone while defending fifth place on lap 17 of the race, with the Yamaha rider launching off his bike and suffering a painful landing in the run-off.
Iannone, who had previously received a grid drop for a collision with Andrea Dovizioso in Argentina, has incurred another penalty and will start from the back of the grid at Assen, but Lorenzo believes that punishment is not harsh enough.
"For me, I don't want to say it, but at this moment, the points rules are not in a good way," said Lorenzo, having himself picked up a race ban in 250cc in 2005 after a collision with Alex de Angelis.
"10 years ago, you made a mistake - [MotoGP rider John] Hopkins made a mistake in Motegi [2003] - one race off. I made two mistakes in 2005, one race off.
"Now you have to do four mistakes like Iannone did today - he make his second today, he start last next race. If he makes a third, he'll start in the pitlane. Then one race [ban].
"In soccer, if you make a hard entrance, red card, minimum one match [suspension]. In this sport, we're playing with our lives."
Changing the rules
Lorenzo confirmed that he would not be appealing the decision of the stewards, but said he would bring up the idea of revamping the penalty system, both to race direction and at the Safety Commission, after his absence from the latter in Catalunya caused controversy.
"I will speak with Mike [Webb, MotoGP race director]," Lorenzo said.
"I won't make an appeal because they won't change the decision, but I will speak with Mike Webb and I will try to speak in the Safety Comission about this, because sometimes we only understand that something must be changed if it happens to you.
"Let's see if other riders have a similar opinion to me. Let's see if we can do something, 'cause there is something we must change to avoid certain risks."
Heavy penalties needed
In lobbying for stricter penalties, Lorenzo insists that his own 2005 race ban had helped him become a better rider.
"When I was 17 or 18 in 2005, I didn't ask myself that I wasn't a conscious rider, that I was a risky rider. I would've said 'no' because you don't want to accept that. We [riders] are very proud.
"But if I didn't get the penalty, I would not have changed, sooner or later I would've made the same [mistake].
"I don't know if it's enough for Andrea to understand that he needs to change something, a little bit, to avoid these actions.
"If you ride like that when you are fighting with other riders, if you don't change your way of riding, sooner or later something will happen. "
Iannone should have gotten a race ban, says Lorenzo
