Two MotoGP stars in hospital after horror crashes as race suspended | Other | Sport

Two MotoGP stars were hospitalised after a pair of serious crashes during Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona. Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco were both rushed to hospital for treatment following a race littered with accidents.

The first major collision involved Marquez, who suffered a frightening crash after slamming into the back of Pedro Acosta’s bike. Acosta had been leading on lap 12 of 24 when his KTM suddenly lost power on the straight, prompting the Spaniard to desperately warn the riders behind him. But second-placed Marquez had no time to react. The Gresini Ducati rider smashed into the rear of Acosta’s machine before he and his bike were hurled towards the wall, cartwheeling violently through the air.

Marquez was taken away in ‌an ambulance and was ​not involved in the ‌restart. Fabio Di Giannatonio, who won the race to clinch his first MotoGP race win since 2023, was hit by debris in the crash but was able to restart.

Former Moto2 champion Zarco was also taken to hospital after crashing out of the restart, which triggered a second red flag. Reigning champion Marc Marquez – Alex’s brother – missed the race after fracturing his foot in a scary crash in France last weekend.

Gresini Ducati issued a statement about Marquez’s condition after the race: “[Alex has suffered a] marginal fracture of C7 [seventh cervical vertebra],” it read. “Further evaluation will be completed next week.

“He also has a right clavicle fracture; it will be stabalised with a plate. He will undergo surgery today by the team at Hospital General de Catalunya.”

The C7 vertebra is the very last bone at the base of your neck where it connects to your upper back. Fracturing it can be serious as this bone protexts the spinal chord and supports the head.

LCR Honda team manager Lucio Cecchinello provided an update on Zarco’s condition after the race too. “He has been taken to the local hospital,” he told TNT Sports. “They will perform a scan to check exactly what he has. He has pain in the left leg and around the knee.

“But fortunately he has no concussion, he has no injury on any other part of the body, not in the feet or the ankle. Looks like it’s just in the femur area. I really hope there will be no bad news coming.”

Sunday’s result leaves Marquez seventh in the Riders’ Championship on 67 points, 73 behind leader Marco Bezzecchi. Catalan Grand Prix winner Fabio Di Giannantonio climbed to third in the standings, sitting 11 points behind Jorge Martin in second, with Martin trailing Bezzecchi by 13 points. Meanwhile, Zarco remains down in 15th place on 34 points.