David Alonso has publicly severed ties with Aspar teammate Daniel Holgado, branding him “not a good person” following their high-profile collision at the Mandalika Grand Prix in Indonesia. The incident, where Holgado clipped the rear of Alonso’s bike at the start, caused a dramatic highside that eliminated both riders and triggered a double DNF for the Aspar team. While Holgado accepted full responsibility and issued an apology, Alonso’s scathing comments reveal deeper fractures within the team dynamic.

In a candid interview with Spanish broadcaster DAZN ahead of the Australian GP weekend, Alonso dismissed any notion of camaraderie with Holgado. “There’s no relationship, no chemistry in the team, and it’s not really a team anymore,” Alonso stated bluntly. He elaborated, “When someone isn’t a good person, there’s nothing you can do. So, I’ll just carry on with my life and he’ll carry on with his.” Alonso downplayed the crash itself as a racing incident, emphasizing that the problem is far more profound than the on-track collision. “Someone might take you out, I might take someone else out—that’s the least of it. There’s much more to it than that.”

Holgado, who will join Gresini Ducati in MotoGP next season while Alonso moves to LCR Honda, has sought to defuse the tension. Speaking to DAZN, he acknowledged the harsh realities of racing and reiterated his respect for Alonso. “I already apologised because I ruined his race on the first corner,” Holgado said. “It’s something you never want to do, not to yourself, because I also crashed at that moment, nor to cause other riders to crash.” He stressed the importance of humility and understanding in the sport, explaining, “One day you do it; the next day it happens to you.”

Holgado expressed surprise at Alonso’s remarks regarding team unity, insisting their relationship has remained cordial off-track. “I have a good relationship with him, we always have. I’m focused on my own thing, I greet him without any problem, and everything is the same in the team,” he said. Although they have not yet discussed the fallout, Holgado remains open to reconciliation. “I’d like to talk because I have no problem with it. We’re too old to be talking about these things, but I’m sure we’ll talk in the future.”

This bitter personal clash unfolds against a tight championship backdrop with only five rounds remaining. Holgado currently sits fourth in the standings on 170 points, narrowly ahead of Alonso’s fifth place with 166 points. Although Alonso outpaced Holgado last season, the 2024 Moto3 campaign saw Holgado finish as runner-up to Alonso by a significant margin. Their rivalry is set to escalate in MotoGP, where Holgado’s Ducati machinery appears to hold a competitive edge over Alonso’s Honda, potentially shaping the narrative of their ongoing battle at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing.