If you were watching the Moto3 race from Qatar last weekend, you?ll have seen the crash between Jeremy Alcoba and John McPhee. But in case you haven?t, I?ll tell you what happened. Alcoba clipped the back of Darryn Binder?s bike, hit the deck and sent his bike flying into McPhees head? knocking the Scotsman off. It was a racing incident, although McPhee clearly thought otherwise. In a fit of rage, he stormed over to an apologetic looking Alcoba and proceeded to swing a couple of windmill like arms and the odd kick at his opponent. He?ll pay a ?1,000 fine and start the next GP from the pitlane. And he?s obviously very sorry about the whole thing. But what?s the big deal" Are these gravel trap punch-ups really bad for the sport" 44T investigates?
Wanting to kick the shit out of someone that?s just knocked you off your bike isn?t a new thing. There?s been fisticuffs in racing way before Alcoba and McPhee kicked off. And every corner of motorsport, in every corner of the world. In such an adrenaline fuelled sport where most of the protagonists are blokes, what do you think is going to happen"

Obviously though, we live in the 21st century so anything that might upset or offend anyone else is not allowed. That?s why if you twat someone in the gravel trap after they knock you off, you?re going to be the one that pays the price, whatever level you?re racing at. It might be a ban from future events. It might be a monetary fine. They might dock you points or ...