The MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalunya was a chaotic and dramatic race, with six riders penalised, three race starts, two riders in hospital, and one world champion physically raging against members of his own team. The race was a reminder of the dangers of the sport and the need for better safety measures.
The race was stopped twice after serious crashes, and ended with Ducati's Fabio Di Giannantonio winning the second Grand Prix of his career. However, the race was marred by a series of incidents that left riders and spectators alike in shock.
One of the most terrifying crashes was that of Alex Marquez, who was behind Acosta on lap 12 of the Grand Prix when Acosta's KTM suddenly slowed with an electronics issue. Marquez ploughing into the back of the KTM on the high-speed run down the back straight from Turns 9-10. Marquez's bike headed straight for the inside wall, skipped across the grass and gravel trap and discarded its rider, and cannoned into the concrete at well over 200km/h, scattering debris into the path of the pursuing pack and leaving Marquez prone beside the circuit after he finally came to a halt following several barrel rolls.
Di Giannantonio was hit by a discarded wheel that flew into his path from Marquez's bike, while debris struck the trailing Fernandez in the chest and hands, and Zarco on his left foot. Treated by trackside medics, Marquez was taken to a nearby hospital and diagnosed with what his Gresini Ducati team said was a fractured right collarbone, for which he underwent surgery on Sunday, and a "marginal fracture" of his seventh cervical vertebra (neck), which will be further assessed in the coming days.
Zarco misjudged his braking marker at the first corner of the restarted race and collided with fellow Honda rider Luca Marini and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, Zarco’s left leg being caught between the seat unit and rear tyre of Bagnaia’s bike as the trio tumbled into the gravel. Zarco was "more scared than hurt" and will remain overnight under observation and will travel to France on Monday to consult with specialists and assess the next steps in his recovery.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s notorious first corner has come under fire from several riders in the wake of Zarco’s accident, which came 24 hours after a first-corner crash in the sprint race that saw two riders crash out without injury. The positioning of the start line – 595 metres from the first sequence of corners, a hard-braking right-hander into an immediate left-hander at Turn 2 – makes the start of this Grand Prix one that has teams and riders holding their breaths every year.
The race-winner Di Giannantonio echoed sentiments in Sunday’s post-race press conference, saying "Starting that far from the first corner, we arrive there with a lot of speed, but not the speed that we are used to arriving at [on a normal racing lap]." He added, "We don’t really know the perfect braking point for the first corner, so a small mistake can become a big mistake and make a big disaster."
Pedro Acosta and Jorge Martin were among the riders critical of the decision to restart the race a third time after the second red flag following Zarco’s crash, with Acosta saying "people’s health comes before the show" after he was taken out on the final lap of the race while fighting for a podium position. Martin concurred with his compatriot after the lengthy delays between race starts, saying "The show must go on as always, but after three times maybe it’s time to stop."
Martin has apologised to his team after shoving his own Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora in the aftermath of his frustrating weekend in Barcelona, one where he crashed five times between practice, qualifying, the sprint and the Grand Prix to leave Spain pointless while falling further behind factory Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the standings. Martin and fellow Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez made contact at Turn 5 of the second restarted race on Sunday, Martin falling into the trackside gravel trap and returning to the fray in a desperate attempt to score any points for finishing inside the top 15.
The race was a reminder of the dangers of the sport and the need for better safety measures. The incidents that occurred during the race highlight the importance of ensuring the safety of the riders and spectators alike. It is crucial that the sport takes steps to improve safety measures and prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
