Photo credit: www.autosport.com
Emotion and Reflection After Qatar Grand Prix Incident
Fabio di Giannantonio, a rider for the VR46 team, expressed profound emotion regarding his frightening collision with reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin during the Qatar Grand Prix, referring to the event as “the worst scene of my life.”
The incident unfolded on lap 14 at Losail when Martin lost control of his bike at the exit of Turn 12. As Martin fell, di Giannantonio was unable to avoid a collision, resulting in Martin sustaining eight fractured ribs alongside chest trauma.
Martin is currently receiving medical attention in a Doha hospital, having demonstrated a clear level of discomfort at the race scene. This incident follows a particularly turbulent start to the 2025 MotoGP season for Martin, who was forced to miss the first three races due to a training injury prior to the season’s commencement, making Qatar his first opportunity to compete this year.
When queried about the lack of a red flag after the crash, di Giannantonio admitted to being taken aback. “Yes, I have goosebumps because it was the worst scene of my life,” he stated. He described witnessing the crash as harrowing, noting, “Honestly, it was a super bad crash. I was watching the giant trackside screens trying to understand if he was okay or not.”
Describing the moments leading up to the collision, di Giannantonio added, “He was in front of me and went a bit wide. I was pretty close to him. I tried to overtake him, for sure, and once he crashed, his body was completely in front of my bike. And that is a really fast corner. I didn’t have any chance to go anywhere, so I touched him.”
Race control responded to the incident by briefly displaying a yellow flag, which lasted for almost two laps. Di Giannantonio continued to ride in the race, ultimately finishing in 16th place with lingering concerns about Martin’s condition. “I was pushing but I was thinking of him the whole race because I was really scared,” he reflected.
In a show of solidarity following the race, di Giannantonio stopped outside Martin’s pit box, eager to gather information from his team to confirm that Martin was indeed okay.
Source
www.autosport.com