Jorge Martin’s horrifying crash at the Qatar MotoGP has left a lasting emotional impact, especially on Fabio di Giannantonio, who was directly involved in the terrifying incident.
Martin lost control and crashed at Turn 12 of the Lusail circuit. Just behind him, Di Giannantonio had no time to react and made contact at over 200 km/h, unintentionally striking the fallen world champion.
“He was just in front of me, went slightly wide,” Di Giannantonio told Motosprint. “I was close and ready to overtake when he fell. I couldn’t avoid him — I had nowhere to go.”
At the time, Di Giannantonio was unaware of Martin’s condition and continued the race in distress. “It was the worst scene of my life. I had goosebumps,” he said. “After the race, I went straight to his garage, needing to know if he was okay. I saw on the screen that he was conscious, and maybe that’s why they didn’t show the red flag.”
Martin’s injuries were later confirmed: a collapsed lung and multiple fractured ribs. He had just returned from a hand injury and was racing in his first round of the season. Now, this incident will unfortunately sideline him again.
“This is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, and we’re aware of that,” Di Giannantonio added. “But we’re human. It really shook me.”
The VR46 rider also endured a chaotic race of his own — being knocked off-track by Alex Marquez in a move he labelled “dangerous,” and receiving a penalty after contact with Joan Mir. He eventually finished in 17th place.
