Enea Bastianini has accused Aleix Espargaro of prioritizing his friendship with Jorge Martin over fair competition. According to Bastianini, Espargaro acted as a rear guard for Martin throughout the race, assisting his friend in the title fight instead of racing independently.

Starting from second on the grid, Espargaro’s race got off to a slow start. By the end of the first lap, Espargaro had fallen to fourth place, staying in that position to support Martin. Bastianini, who even led for brief moments, found it difficult to overtake Espargaro.

Bastianini’s efforts to climb up the standings were ruined by a mistake at Turn 1, where he was forced to take the escape road. He eventually finished seventh, losing out on third place in the standings to Marc Marquez, who finished second.

After the race, Bastianini called out Espargaro’s tactics, labeling them unprofessional. "I lost much time with Aleix today. Without his interference, I could have done better," Bastianini said. "I understand he’s close friends with Jorge, but he shouldn’t let that influence the race. It’s not correct in a championship like ours."

Bastianini continued, visibly frustrated: "This was his last race as a full-time racer, and maybe he could have fought for a better result or even a podium. But instead, he destroyed the race for other riders."

Martin finished the race in third place at the finale in Barcelona and secured enough points to take the title. This result allowed him to become the first-ever rider to win a title with a satellite team since Valentino Rossi in 2001.

Despite the controversy, Espargaro defended his actions, explaining that he was simply trying to help Martin, who he considers a very close friend. "It was motivating for me to protect him from the Ducatis," Espargaro explained. "I gave everything I had to help Jorge in his title fight, riding on the limit of the bike more than ever."

Espargaro, who competed in his last race as a full-time rider, emphasized that his effort wasn’t about riding slowly to protect Martin, but to maximize his own performance. He pointed to his intense battle with Alex Marquez, which ended with him losing fourth place.

In response to Bastianini’s accusations, Espargaro said: “If Enea thinks I was being slow, it's not fair. He couldn’t even catch me, and I was pushing to the limit. Alex Marquez beat me, and Enea couldn’t.”