Ducati duo suffer fractures in Indian GP Saturday crashes
Two satellite Ducati riders have sustained fractures in crashes during MotoGP’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix weekend, with Luca Marini joining Alex Marquez on the sidelines.
Marini slammed into VR46 Ducati team-mate and fellow Valentino Rossi protege Marco Bezzecchi at the first corner in the sprint race, and headed to the medical centre at the Buddh International Circuit for a check-up.
🚦 LIGHTS OUT IN INDIA! 🚦
INSTANT DISASTER FOR BEZZECCHI AND @VR46RacingTeam 😱#TissotSprint | #IndianGP 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/nrQ6uzm2h2
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 23, 2023
There, he was diagnosed with a broken left collarbone and naturally declared unfit – and he’s been taken to hospital for further examinations.
Marini will serve a long-lap penalty in the next grand prix race that he contests, the stewards having deemed him to be “overly ambitious” in the accident.
The collarbone fracture very strongly suggests that the penalty won’t be served on Sunday, i.e. that Marini’s Indian GP weekend is over – something that is already clear for fellow Ducati rider Marquez, who had crashed earlier, in qualifying.
Gresini Ducati’s Marquez highsided at the end of the first qualifying segment, which ruled him out of the pole shootout – which he’d qualified for – and the sprint.
Speaking to MotoGP.com after returning to the circuit from hospital, Marquez said: “Unfortunately I broke three ribs. Painful, for sure, and tomorrow will be even worse. I’m really sad to miss this race. Not 100% but 90% I will miss Japan also.
Disaster for @alexmarquez73 on his last flying lap! 💥
He’s secured a Q2 spot but he looked to be in a bit of pain when walking off 😮#IndianGP 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/7HlPj5OlpK
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 23, 2023
“But it’s like this, life is hard sometimes, but OK, we need to come back, we need to recover as soon as possible and be on the bike again, our level is really good.”
The Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi is next week, meaning neither Gresini nor VR46 will be obliged to run replacements – assuming both Marquez and Marini aren’t fit to ride then as well, which seems likely.
Their injuries mean that, of the 22 full-timers who had started the season, nine will have missed at least one race (10 if you count Pecco Bagnaia being ruled out of the restarted Barcelona race) through injury or some physical ailment.