Catalunya MotoGP stopped twice: Massive Pedro Acosta, Alex Marquez incident then Johann Zarco crash
Latest official updates after the Catalan MotoGP restart was also red-flagged, due to a nasty crash involving Johann Zarco, following a shocking accident for Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta in the original race.
The Catalan MotoGP restart was also red-flagged after Johann Zarco crashed into Turn 1, then tangled with Luca Marini and Pecco Bagnaia.
Zarco appeared to become trapped in the rear wheel of Bagnaia's Ducati as riders and machines bounced through the gravel trap.
Bagnaia and Marini then rushed to assist Zarco.
All riders were described as conscious, with Bagnaia later seen with an ice pack on his arm in the pits.
Latest updates:
The latest official MotoGP update read: '#5 Zarco [taken] to the medical centre for further checks'.
A subsequent update from Zarco's LCR Honda team confirmed: 'Johann Zarco is at the medical centre, not in a critical condition. Awaiting further tests and specific information, we’ll let you know when we have more info."
The second restart will be held over 12 laps, the same as the Saturday Sprint race.
All riders from the first restart are technically eligible.
Pedro Acosta, Alex Marquez incident
The 2026 Catalan MotoGP has been red-flagged after a massive accident involving race leaders Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez.
Acosta suffered some kind of technical problem as he accelerated onto the back straight on lap 12 of 24.
The slowing Red Bull KTM rider was then clipped from behind by Marquez, just as Acosta raised his hand to try to warn the closely following riders.
Although both remained on two wheels, the impact sent Marquez swerving off track before falling heavily at high speed, with his Gresini machine destroyed in a series of cartwheels.
The debris raining down from Marquez’s bike then took out VR46's Fabio di Giannantonio, who later walked away clearly in pain, with Raul Fernandez and Johann Zarco also caught up in the aftermath.
Alex Marquez "taken to hospital"
Marquez, who won Saturday’s Sprint race, was initially described as “conscious”.
He then received treatment at the side of the circuit before being moved by ambulance.
The latest update stated: "#73 Marquez has been taken to hospital for further examination".
All riders are technically eligible for the restart except Marquez and Enea Bastianini.
Bastianini had already retired with a technical problem on his KTM, while Acosta's team-mate Pedro Acosta had an issue on the warm-up lap and had to start from pit lane.
MotoGP pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard reports that KTM has told MotoGP officials that the various issues were not related and Acosta is therefore expected to make the restart.
The restart - set to start just before 2pm - will be held over 13 laps, using the grid positions at the end of lap 11.
The restart grid:
Row 1: Pedro Acosta, Raul Fernandez, Jorge Martin
Row 2: Fabio di Giannantonio, Johann Zarco, Franco Morbidelli
Row 3: Joan Mir, Fermin Aldeguer, Luca Marini
Row 4: Pecco Bagnaia, Ai Ogura, Marco Bezzecchi
Row 5: Fabio Quartararo, Diogo Moreira, Maverick Vinales
Row 6: Jack Miller, Alex Rins, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Augusto Fernandez
Row 7: Brad Binder
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
