Francesco Bagnaia has moved to defend Johann Zarco following a major Turn 1 crash during the MotoGP race restart at Catalunya, insisting the French rider should not be blamed for the incident.
The crash unfolded shortly after lights out when Zarco, starting fifth on the restarted grid, was overtaken on acceleration by the factory Honda duo of Joan Mir and Luca Marini.
As the field compressed into the first corner, Zarco appeared to brake earlier than several riders around him. Bagnaia, who had started tenth, managed to pass Zarco around the outside under braking, placing Marini directly ahead of the Frenchman.
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Moments later, Zarco was unsettled in the turbulent air behind Marini’s Honda. He then made contact with the rear of Marini’s bike and crashed, with the incident quickly escalating into a multi-rider pile-up.
Zarco’s sliding bike struck Bagnaia and also collected Marini, triggering further chaos at the corner. The French rider’s leg became trapped in Bagnaia’s Ducati during the incident.
Despite the frightening nature of the crash, Bagnaia and Marini immediately ran back to assist Zarco in the gravel trap before medical personnel arrived.
Bagnaia later made it clear that, in his view, Zarco should not be held responsible for the accident, describing it as a racing incident in the tightly packed opening corner.
