​Marc Marquez has stood up for Marco Bezzecchi against online hostility after the Aprilia rider suffered a fractured collarbone during the German Grand Prix qualifying. Bezzecchi was compelled to withdraw from Sachsenring midway through the weekend following a brutal highside on Saturday afternoon, a setback that further jeopardizes his MotoGP title chances this year. The injury came just weeks after the Italian was suspended from the Czech Grand Prix for slapping a marshal after the Brno sprint. Bezzecchi also collided with Marquez at last October’s Indonesian Grand Prix while trying to recover from a slow start, an incident that left the Spaniard with a shoulder injury still affecting him.
In response to comments blaming Bezzecchi’s shoulder fracture on payback for his earlier actions, the reigning world champion urged MotoGP fans not to extend criticism toward his rival. He instead emphasized that the priority should be rider safety across the series. “I’ve read the word karma since 2015, and I’ve won six world championships after that,” he said. “So if this is karma, then welcome. Karma doesn’t exist, and all the riders are taking many risks out there. We wish the best for Marco. I already posted on social media in Indonesia, ‘do not push against Marco because these things happen in races.’ And today, one thing happened that we can address for the future. Once again, Bezzecchi, Fermin Aldeguer in Assen, and me in Indonesia, were injured when going into the gravel for that transition between asphalt and gravel. I hope for a good recovery for Bez, but I hope that, going forward, we can fix these things.”
Bezzecchi crashed at Turn 7 just four minutes into Q2 after posting the third-fastest time behind Ducati pair Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio. The 27-year-old was violently thrown into the gravel trap, and later medical checks confirmed a fractured collarbone. The Italian had already been battling the aftereffects of a heavy crash at the Dutch Grand Prix two weeks earlier.
Gresini’s Alex Marquez believes Bezzecchi’s physical limitations may have contributed to his Sachsenring crash, referencing his own incident in Assen practice as a supporting example. The Spaniard himself has not yet fully recovered from a collarbone and a vertebra fracture sustained in Barcelona in May. “I’m really sad for him,” the younger Marquez said of Bezzecchi. “I want to wish him a speedy recovery. It’s a crash from a rider who has speed. I had that crash in Assen too. When you’re not 100% physically and you’re riding, the head and the speed are there, but physically you’re not aligned with them. Sometimes, at that moment, you make mistakes you don’t expect. It’s a crash similar to what we saw in the past.”