Marc Marquez has urged fans not to direct anger at Marco Bezzecchi after the pair’s dramatic collision in the Indonesian MotoGP left the newly crowned world champion nursing a suspected fracture to his right shoulder.
Sprint winner Bezzecchi, starting from pole, was attempting to recover from another sluggish launch when he clipped the back of Marquez’s Ducati at the high-speed Turn 7 on the opening lap. The impact sent both riders tumbling through the gravel, with Marquez immediately clutching his shoulder.
Bezzecchi escaped injury and quickly went to check on the Spaniard, while Ducati later confirmed there was “evidence” of a fracture to either the bone or ligaments in Marquez’s shoulder. Further medical tests will be carried out in Madrid.
Before flying back to Europe, Marquez reassured fans in a social media post:
“Not the best way to celebrate the championship, but this is racing. Today we’ll fly to Madrid and the doctors will evaluate everything. Please, no hard feelings towards Marco, nobody does it on purpose. Thanks for all your support.”
Alex Marquez, who witnessed the crash unfold just ahead, echoed his brother’s stance:
“The incident was clear, but I don’t want to criticise Bezzecchi. We have 44 races… it’s nearly impossible not to make a mistake in some race.”
Bezzecchi missed his media duties while undergoing hospital checks, but Aprilia confirmed he suffered no injuries. Team boss Massimo Rivola apologised on behalf of the team: “First of all, our apologies go to Marquez. We’re very sorry about what happened.”
The clash came just a day after Marquez himself accepted blame for contact with Yamaha’s Alex Rins during the Sprint race, an incident that earned him a long-lap penalty. Meanwhile, FIM Stewards have deferred their hearing with Bezzecchi until after his medical evaluation.
