Marco Bezzecchi
The Catalan Grand Prix proved to be one of the most chaotic races of the year, but Francesco Bagnaia expected more from his fellow riders.
Alex Marquez’s horrifying crash at the Catalan GP forced the first of what would be two red flag stoppages this past Sunday.
The first resumption of the race proved to be utter chaos, as Francesco Bagnaia, along with Johann Zarco and Luca Marini, crashed within the first turn of the restart.
Was it right to restart the Catalan GP after two big accidents?
The French rider suffered the most damage, as LCR confirmed Zarco injured his leg in the crash with Marini and Bagnaia.
But for Bagnaia, the shock of the crash came down partly to how everyone on the track approached the restart after seeing how brutal Marquez’s crash was.
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia admits he ‘probably’ should have stopped racing at Catalan Grand Prix
Francesco Bagnaia thought riders would be more cautious after Alex Marquez crash
Speaking to Speedweek and other reporters after the Catalan Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia reflected on the restart of the race following Alex Marquez’s crash.
The Ducati rider believed that all the riders would be more cautious when approaching the restart, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
“Everyone around Alex Marquez was lucky in his crash, because it was massive! I would have expected all the riders to be more cautious when approaching the first corner after the restart.”
Speaking further after the race, Bagnaia recalled seeing Zarco in pain after their crash, and how difficult that moment was for him.
“Zarco tried to brake earlier, but his motorcycle didn’t slow down. Something must have happened. He didn’t do anything wrong!
“My impact in the gravel was hard, and seeing Johann and my motorcycle afterwards was painful.”
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia claims his Ducati situation has completely changed after battling Marco Bezzecchi
Are MotoGP riders the bravest athletes on the planet?
Johann Zarco says he crashed as his bike was ‘sucked in’ by Luca Marini’s Honda
Speaking to L’Equipe, Johann Zarco explained how his crash with Luca Marini came about after being drawn to his Honda, and what the pain after the crash felt like.
“I was sucked in by Marini and couldn’t stop in time to avoid him. I went tumbling with his bike, with my left leg trapped between the wheel, the seat and the exhaust.
“I was stuck in the gravel trap, screaming out of pain, my leg was starting to burn, and everyone who gathered around me was afraid of touching me, lest they made my injuries worse.
“So I pulled on my leg, and they eventually helped me. They immobilised me, cut my leathers open, gave me an IV to stop the pain… I’d never been through anything like it, and it was absolutely terrifying.”
Zarco’s crash had an emotional impact on Fabio Quartararo and many other riders. Luckily, he didn’t suffer any serious injuries that will have a long-term impact on him.
But Zarco’s crash did raise questions about the Catalan GP circuit, as many felt that the track combined with MotoGP’s current ruleset has made it one of the most consistently dangerous circuits.
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