– Does the accident that occurred last Sunday in the MotoGP race of the Catalonia Grand Prix in Barcelona during the second of a total of three starts also have consequences for Francesco Bagnaia? Johann Zarco (LCR-Honda) sustained injuries to his left leg in the mentioned crash in turn 1, but Ducati factory rider Bagnaia as well as Honda factory rider Luca Marini were also involved in the accident.
Read more Restarts after crashes in Barcelona: Carlos Ezpeleta defends decision
While Zarco was initially taken to the track’s medical center and then to a hospital in Barcelona, from which he was discharged on Monday and returned to France, Marini and Bagnaia also participated in the following (second) restart of the Catalonia Grand Prix.
Bagnaia finished fifth, but is officially classified in P3. The reason is two penalties issued after crossing the finish line. One is a three-second penalty for Ai Ogura (P4 on the track) after a collision with Pedro Acosta in the last corner. The other is a 16-second penalty for Joan Mir (P2 on the track) for violating the tire pressure rule.
The retroactively awarded third place is the first top-3 result on a Sunday in the 2026 MotoGP season for both Bagnaia and the Ducati factory team. However, “Pecco” cannot really be happy about it. He fears that Johann Zarco might not have been the only one injured in the crash in turn 1.
Although Bagnaia underwent an X-ray examination of his left wrist at the track’s medical center in Barcelona on Sunday, after the official MotoGP test on Monday has now concluded, he wants to have a more thorough examination in Italy. The Ducati factory rider does not rule out that his hand might actually be injured.
Read more Just a Cadillac sticker? How the new GM team benefits
“I will probably have to have my wrist examined again because I feel that something is not right. We have to wait,” Bagnaia was quoted as saying after the Monday test by Sky Italia.
The next stop on the 2026 MotoGP calendar is the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello from May 29 to 31. “I will definitely do a lot of physiotherapy and will not overdo the training because that could only make things worse,” said Bagnaia regarding his physical condition after four consecutive days of racing in Barcelona.
He describes his upcoming home race in Mugello as “one of the most unusual races, similar in demands to Assen. It is important that I arrive there 100 percent fit and prepared,” said the two-time MotoGP world champion from Italy.
Read more Brabus Bodo: Multi-million V12 Hyper-GT based on Vanquish
