MotoGP stewards clear Marco Bezzecchi of penalty following dramatic collision with Alex Marquez at Australian GP practice
Transform your passion into a work of art. Inspired by racing. Crafted for your wall – STUDIOSBRICKS
April 2026 witnessed a heart-stopping moment in MotoGP practice as Marco Bezzecchi, riding for Aprilia and third in the championship standings, narrowly escaped sanction after a high-speed clash with Alex Marquez at the Australian Grand Prix. The incident unfolded at the opening stage of practice on the fast left-hander at Turn 3, where Bezzecchi, trailing Gresini rider Marquez, collided under braking for Turn 4.
Marquez initiated braking first, prompting Bezzecchi to react
Marquez initiated braking first, prompting Bezzecchi to react late as he attempted to evade the Spaniard. The resulting contact was severe: Bezzecchi’s bike struck Marquez’s leg, ripping the fairing from the Aprilia and forcing Bezzecchi off track and into the grass at Turn 4, where he lost control and crashed. The session was briefly red-flagged to clear debris from the accident.
The FIM MotoGP stewards promptly launched an investigation but ultimately decided no penalty was warranted. Bezzecchi himself downplayed the severity, stating, “Nothing crazy. I mean, I was very close, we were very close, and in braking, when he moved a bit, I tried to avoid him. But I touched his leg with my bike, and when I hit the grass, I crashed. So, fortunately, nothing crazy—just an incident can happen.”
Despite the crash, Bezzecchi showed resilience by quickly rejoining the session and setting the fastest time in Practice with a lap of 1m26.775s. He revealed he briefly got trapped under his bike but escaped further injury, clarifying, “It was the other one,” when asked about his knee. “I also broke the other knee, but it was a long time ago, so fortunately it was OK.” He humorously added, “The marshals ran away with my bike. I tried to follow, but my running is still not the best! But it’s getting better.”
Marquez, who suffered a crash himself
Marquez, who suffered a crash himself at the session’s conclusion, commented on the collision: “I don’t know what happened; you’ll have to ask him. I was focused on my own thing. I was on my usual racing line, at my normal pace. I think his idea was to overtake me at that point, because he was faster than me, but he miscalculated a bit. But nothing happened, so it’s no big deal; that’s just how it is.”
The episode underscored the razor-thin margins and split-second decisions that define MotoGP racing, with Bezzecchi’s near-miss illustrating the high stakes in the championship fight. The stewards’ decision to clear the Italian of blame allows him to press on unimpeded as the season unfolds.
DON’T MISS ONE SECOND WITH THE NEW APP WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE LIVE TIMING OF MOTOGP, FORMULA 1, NASCAR, INDYCAR AND MUCH MORE: JUST PRESS – HERE (FREE FOR ALL USERS)
