Francesco BagnaiaPlayer·Francesco Bagnaia, the two-time world champion, has revealed he suffered from dizziness after a significant incident involving himself, Johann ZarcoPlayer·Johann Zarco, and Luca MariniPlayer·Luca Marini during the Catalan Grand PrixCompetition·Catalan Grand Prix in MotoGPCompetition·MotoGP. The crash occurred in the first turn following the initial restart of Sunday's race, leading to a chaotic scene that impacted the outcome for several competitors.
The incident unfolded when Johann ZarcoPlayer·Johann Zarco collided with Luca MariniPlayer·Luca Marini while braking for the corner. Bagnaia, positioned nearby, became an unintended casualty, resulting in all three riders falling to the ground in the safety area. Zarco sustained the most severe injury, with his left leg becoming trapped in Bagnaia's motorcycle, necessitating his transport to a hospital in BarcelonaVenue·Barcelona for medical attention.
Despite the intense impact, both Bagnaia and Marini were able to return to their respective garages and participate in the second restart of the race, utilizing their reserve machines. Bagnaia ultimately crossed the finish line in fourth place but was later elevated to third position following a penalty issued to Joan MirPlayer·Joan Mir. Luca MariniPlayer·Luca Marini also navigated the challenging circumstances to secure a sixth-place finish after all post-race sanctions were applied.
Bagnaia recounted the immediate aftermath of the collision, detailing the physical and mental toll it took.
"The impact with the ground was very intense, it was huge. The moment I saw my bike and how he (Zarco) was still hooked to it, I just saw his leg and how much pain he was in, it was a huge blow for me."— Francesco Bagnaia.
He continued to describe his struggle during the subsequent race segment.
"After that, I went back to the garage, got on the second bike and just tried not to think much. I started, but after three laps I started to feel dizzy on the bike. Every time I braked, I felt like that. I needed to slow down because maybe I wasn't ready to race, but everything went well in that regard and it didn't cause me major problems."— Francesco Bagnaia.
Upon returning to the garage after completing the race, Bagnaia's condition worsened. "I survived until the last lap, finished, and as soon as I got back to the garage, I didn't feel well. After the race, my left wrist was X-rayed, but everything is fine, although I don't feel very well," he stated. The root of his discomfort was identified as a neck injury. "The problem is in the neck. I felt dizzy because of a cervical vertebra. I took a strong blow to the neck. My neck muscles are contracted and that's why I feel dizzy." — Francesco BagnaiaPlayer·Francesco Bagnaia.
The Italian rider also reflected on the race management's decision to have three starts on Sunday, suggesting a potential review of the rules for such scenarios.
"As I have said many times, I am lucky that I don't have to make the decisions. But maybe we need a rule that when there is a red flag due to an incident on the track, maybe we shouldn't have three starts."— Francesco Bagnaia.
Riders compete during the 2026 Michelin Grand Prix of France at Le Mans. SOPA Images/IMAGO
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