Marco Bezzecchi
MotoGP riders have united in their fury with the organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix after the Moto3 race continued to be held following a horrific incident involving Jose Antonio Rueda and Noah Dettwiler.
After securing the 2025 Moto3 world title in Indonesia just two rounds ago, Rueda crashed into the back of Dettwiler on the sighting lap ahead of the lightweight class’ race in Malaysia on Sunday afternoon.
A red flag was thrown out immediately, and both riders were airlifted to hospital in order for their injuries to be assessed and treated accordingly.
Rueda was confirmed to be alert and awake in hospital with a number of contusions and a suspected fracture in his hand, whilst Dettwiler’s team, CIP Green Power, asked for privacy for their rider as he undergoes ‘multiple surgeries’.
After a long delay that saw the Moto3 grid line-up in the pit lane and await the return of the medical helicopter, the race got underway again, much to the dismay of everyone present at the Sepang International Circuit.
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MotoGP riders were ‘really upset’ over the handling of Moto3’s resumption following a horror crash in Malaysia
Safety during Grands Prix has been a hot topic in recent weeks, with MotoGP riders expressing their annoyance with race organisers at the Grand Prix of Indonesia in October after Marc Marquez suffered a broken collarbone due to the hard nature of the gravel used at the circuit.
Speaking on The Race’s post-race review of the Malaysian Grand Prix, journalist Simon Patterson was present at the circuit as the response to the incident unfolded, and noted the sentiment within the paddock over the organisers’ handling of it.
He said: “Pecco Bagnaia wouldn’t let us talk about his race until he had talked about the Moto3 race because he felt like it needed to be said that these guys are kids and that we watched them.
“We made them sit in the pit lane, in the baking hot sun, for two hours in their leathers, watching two of their mates get helicoptered out of the circuit, not knowing what condition they were in, and then sent them out to race for our entertainment.
“Bagnaia was really upset about it. [Marco] Bezzecchi was really upset about it. Franco Morbidelli basically refused to talk about his race in his media debriefing and only wanted to talk about this to try and make the point.
“Alex Rins has been posting on social media about it. There’s a very broad paddock consensus that it wasn’t the right thing to do, to immediately send Moto3 back out to race today and that this wasn’t handled very well.”
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Franco Morbidelli noted that he was unable to get into the zone after watching the crash unfold
As highlighted by Patterson, the decision to continue the running of Moto3’s race severely irked everyone on the grid of the premier class.
VR46’s Morbidelli explained the impact that it had on his own race, telling journalists, via Motorsport.com, “We have no news, that’s the main issue, we have no news, so I’m waiting for some news.
“That’s what we should all hope for: the best. Our job is to race, and we race. I tell you my worry at the moment.”
When asked how difficult it was to get into the right frame of mind after watching the crash ahead of the MotoGP race, Morbidelli said, “I think I didn’t manage to.”
Francesco Bagnaia drove the safety of his competitors at the Australian GP amid extreme winds that jeopardised the running of the previous round of racing.
In response to the incident in Malaysia, the Italian rider highlighted the poor decision-making from circuit officials, saying, “To let the young riders do a 10-lap race in those conditions after seeing helicopters going away with two of them, it’s not a perfect idea.
“I would never understand it, but it’s what it is. Luckily, I’m not the one that needs to make these kinds of decisions. I think different things are done in a way that I would not do, but it is what it is.”
Joan Mir echoed the sentiments of his on-grid rivals, adding, “It has been very difficult for all the riders today to put on their suits, given the situation we have experienced in Moto3.
“I have received some favourable news from the organisation, and that somehow gives us peace of mind. It has been difficult, and I hope that things will improve as the hours go by.”
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