Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo was incredibly emotional after the Catalan Grand Prix as Johann Zarco and Alex Marquez suffered horrible crashes.
The Catalan Grand Prix saw brilliant battles at the front of the grid, with Pedro Acosta, Raul Fernandez and Marquez fighting for the lead. But on lap 12, Acosta’s engine cut out down the back straight, and Marquez had no way of avoiding the KTM.
Colliding with Acosta, the Gresini rider was sent into the wall in a sickening accident, completely destroying his GP26 and collecting Fabio Di Giannantonio, who won the race, in the process.
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The race was immediately red-flagged, and at the restart, Zarco crashed with Pecco Bagnaia and Luca Marini. The LCR rider got stuck in the former’s bike and flipped across the gravel trap in an awful accident, bringing out the second red flag.
Both Marquez and Zarco were transported to hospital for checks and have given positive updates. Marquez has undergone successful surgery, with neither rider sustaining as serious injuries as initially feared.
Fabio Quartararo ‘in tears’ after watching Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco crashes
Marc Marquez and several MotoGP riders sent heartfelt messages to the duo on social media. There was a heavy atmosphere in the paddock in Catalunya, with Quartararo being brought to tears over the incidents.
The Yamaha rider finished a strong P5, aided by Joan Mir’s tyre pressure penalty, but as journalist Neil Morrison notes via the Paddock Pass Podcast, he was inconsolable after the Catalan GP due to Marquez and Zarco’s crashes.
“I think a couple of riders just said, ‘I wanted my team to give me the thumbs up. Is Alex okay? Is it grave or is it going to be okay?” said Morrison.
Was it right to restart the Catalan GP after two big accidents?
“And once they found that out, it was like, ‘Let’s not look at the TVs and let’s just try and remain in the zone.’
“And you could see that, kind of like Luca Marini, once the adrenaline wore off after the third race, then I think the consequences of what happened and what they’d had to kind of put out of their minds, that kind of noise they put away, that all came kind of flooding back.
“And you can see a lot of them were so drained. I think Fabio Quartararo was full of tears. Bezzecchi just looked completely done in.”
David Emmett added: “Rins, completely destroyed. I mean, he also had a terrible race, but apart from that, he was just completely destroyed.” Morrison then concluded: “Yeah. They looked like they’d been through traumatic events, which they had been.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats
Fabio Quartararo reacts to ‘horrific’ Catalan Grand Prix crashes
In his media debrief after the race, Quartararo admitted he wanted to avoid viewing the ‘horrific’ footage of the two crashes. He had ‘absolutely no desire’ to get back on his Yamaha after such accidents.
He said via Speedweek: “I tried to avoid watching the TV footage, but unfortunately, it was impossible to completely prevent myself. It was horrific.
“Especially the way the fairing pieces and bits of tyre were flying around and hitting other riders. Naturally, you had absolutely no desire to get back on your bike. But we’re professionals. That’s just part of the game.”
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