Aragon MotoGP: ‘I just hit the back of Marc’ - Quartararo ‘sore’, then second accident on scooter

If hitting the back of Marc Marquez, being run over by his own bike and seeing his MotoGP title lead slashed wasn’t enough bad luck, Fabio Quartararo was involved in a second accident while being taken to the Aragon medical centre.
Fabio Quartararo, MotoGP, Aragon MotoGP 15 September
Fabio Quartararo, MotoGP, Aragon MotoGP 15 September

Marque🅘z, who had gained seven places at the start of his first MotoGP race since June, momentarily backed off on the exit of 🍃Turn 3 to save a rear-wheel slide.

But Quartararo had no chance to react, slamming into the back of the Repsol Honda and being thrown down the road, suffering friction burns and abrasions to his chest as he was clipped by thꦰe bike.

“Sore an🍸d burned,” said Quartararo, when asked how he was feeling. “It’s a shame because it's the first time I felt good 💝in Aragon for many years.

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“Marc turned so well, but also had a slide. I had better🌼 traction, didn't expect it and just hit the back [of him]. I don't rememౠber exactly the situation, but it's a shame in just the third corner.”

While Marquez went👍 on to suffer another clash with Takaaki Nakagami shortly after,𓄧 the drama wasn’t over for Quartararo either.

Quartararo: 'The marshal hit head-on with another scooter'

“I had a second crash. And it was quite fast a𒁃ctually. Luckily I didn't take off my helmet,” Quartararo said. “The marshal just hit [head on] with another scooter.

“I don't have any injuries from that crash, everything I𝓡 have is from the first crash. But I think the marshal is a little bit sore.”

Without the Marquez collision, Quartararo - seventh at the time of his fall - felt he could have been in t🤪he group fighting for third to sixth.

Quartararo did at least get some unexpected assistance on an otherw🔯ise nightmare day with Enea Bastianini overtaking fellow Ducati rider Fr🔥ancesco Bagnaia to snatch victory on the final lap.

Without that pass, Bagnaia, winner of the previous four races but still 30 points adrift at the start of the grand prix, would have been𝔉 just 5 points from Quartararo rather than the 11-point difference heading into Motegi next weekend.

🃏“Japan is a track I love,” Quartararo said. “Hopefully we can race there [despite the typhoon warnings] because many riders have not been in Japan on a MotoGP bi🃏ke, like Bastianini.

“I feel Japan can be a good track for us because even if there is a lot of acceleration, there is also a lot of bra𒈔king. That is our strong point. So hopefully Japan happens.”

Third place forꦇ Aleix Espargaro means the Aprilia rider now completes a title top three covered by 17 points, with five rounds to go.

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