The Aragon MotoGP race ended in dramatic fashion for Fabio Quartararo. Immediately after the start, Marc Márquez skidded at Turn 3 and had to lift off the accelerator for a moment. Immediately behind them Quartararo accelerated and the Honda crashed onto the rear wheel with full force.
Quartararo crashed spectacularly. His Yamaha flew over him. Luckily all the following drivers were able to avoid it. “I have pain and abrasions,” he says of his condition. Other injuries were ruled out in the medical center.
“Many drivers made small mistakes. Marc steered very well, but he also had a slight slide. My traction was better and I didn’t expect it there. I drove into the back of him. I can’t remember exactly the situation .”
“But it’s a shame because it was only turn three. It’s a shame because for the first time in years I felt good at Aragon. Crashing in turn three isn’t the best thing. I’ve had difficult races now, but I’m still motivated.”
“A marshal collided with my moped”
When he then made his way back to the paddock on a moped, Quartararo was involved in a second accident. “A marshal collided with my moped. I had a second accident,” he reports of the situation, which was not captured by cameras.
“It happened at quite a high speed. Luckily I hadn’t taken off my helmet yet. Luckily I didn’t get injured. It all comes from the first accident. I think the marshal will be in pain too.”
“My hip hurts from the first accident. But in three days it will be okay. The only problem will be the chest,” notes Quartararo. Because he has suffered some abrasions on his chest from the racing crash.
Only 10 championship points ahead
After Assen, it was only his second failure this year. But with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) on the podium in second and third respectively, Quartararo’s championship lead melted like butter in the Spanish sun.
With five races to go, he’s only ten points ahead of Bagnaia and 17 over Espargaro. What annoys Quartararo most is that he actually expected a good result for Aragon.
“I’ve always been fast but never really consistent. Now I’ve been super happy with FT4. I’ve been consistent and fast. Apart from the race it’s been a positive weekend. I think if I’d been fighting in the top 5 it would be a great one result.”
“We know that we always struggle in the race, but a low 1:48 minutes would have been very fast lap times. Maybe a podium would have been possible. I think we could have fought for places three, four, five, six.”
Now the overseas tour begins with the races in Japan, Thailand, Australia and Malaysia. Quartararo feels motivated: “I’m looking forward to tracks where we haven’t been for a long time. Japan is one of my favorite tracks, but so is Thailand. I’ll do my best.”