MotoGP Austria red flagged due to bizarre Marquez crash
Alex Marquez's surprise incident prompted a red flag (Credit: MotoGP)
Updated: 16:26, 18 Sep
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Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
Practice at the Austrian MotoGP was red flagged after Alex Marquez suffered a baffling Turn 1 crash.
With 12 minutes to go in the timed session the Gresini rider wheelied up the hill out of the first corner, but as his front tyre came back down he lost control of his bike.
Thankfully, Marquez was instantly up on his feet and had to clamber over an advertising hoarding with no track exits visible.
However, the crash had left debris on the Red Bull Ring tarmac as well as grass and soil. Marshals also had to remove his bike from the track.
Alex Marquez crash leves everyone confused
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The 2025 championship runner-up was 15th at the time of the incident and looked baffled by what had happened as he gestured as his bike.
There was similar confusion in the MotoGP commentary box, as Matthew Birt said: “Really weird crash that. He can’t believe it.
"He’s absolutely baffled; he’s bemused. You can see he's thinking, ‘What the heck happened?' I’ve never seen a crash like that from Alex Marquez."
Thankfully, Marquez was quickly on the back of a moped, heading back to the pitlane to his second bike.
He then jumped on it for the final 10 minutes, and went fifth fastest once the pitlane re-opened.
Marquez was eventually pushed down to eighth, but that was more than enough for him to progress to Q2.
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The session ended up being topped by Pedro Acosta, who could be on course for his first MotoGP win as KTM continue to show supreme pace.
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