Dani Holgado apologized to David Alonso after Mandalika crash
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 22, 2026
Holgado apology followed crash
Holgado apologized to Alonso after their Turn 1 collision at the start of the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, and he said he took full responsibility for the crash. The contact sent Alonso into a violent highside and left him with a lung contusion. Alonso missed the restart after the incident. Holgado still finished on the podium, which gave the day an awkward split, one rider celebrating a strong result while the other dealt with the fallout of a hard opening-lap crash. Holgado said Alonso’s reaction came “in the heat of the moment,” and he described the contact as part of racing. He also said he still had a good relationship with Alonso and wanted to talk things through. The apology came against the backdrop of an early rookie rivalry, with both riders already linked by their shared path toward MotoGP. The crash added another layer to that relationship because it happened at the very start of the race. Instead, the first corner turned into the defining moment of the day.
Alonso reacted strongly
Alonso made clear how much the crash bothered him. He said Holgado was “not a good person,” and he added there was “no relationship” and “no chemistry” between them. That reaction captured the tension between the two riders after the Mandalika incident, which had immediate physical and emotional consequences. That contrast sharpened the story around the crash and left the two riders at different ends of the same incident. Holgado tried to lower the temperature afterward by apologizing and accepting blame, but Alonso’s words showed the damage went beyond the racing line. The comments also fit the broader picture of two young riders who are already measured against each other. Their trajectories are close enough that every clash carries extra weight, and this one arrived with the force of a major setback for one and a podium result for the other. The exchange made the rivalry feel real, immediate and far from settled.
MotoGP stakes rose
The crash also landed in the middle of a bigger transition for both riders. Alonso is set to join LCR in MotoGP, and Holgado is set to join Gresini Ducati. That future made every meeting between them more important, because they were not just fighting in the present, they were building the terms of a rivalry that could carry into the premier class. Alonso said LCR is the best place to begin his MotoGP career, a comment that pointed to confidence in his next step even after the disappointment at Mandalika. Holgado’s strong result at the Indonesian Grand Prix only added to his own momentum, even as the crash drew most of the attention. The standings gave the rivalry another edge. With five rounds left, Holgado was fourth on 170 points and Alonso was fifth on 166, a narrow gap that showed how close they remained in the fight. That proximity mattered because it meant one race could change the tone of their season and their relationship. Mandalika became one of those races. It produced an injury, a podium, a heated exchange and an apology, all in the same event. The result left both riders moving toward MotoGP with unfinished business between them.
