Alex Marquez was hospitalised after a horrifying multi-bike crash forced the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix to be stopped twice on Sunday, with Barcelona witnessing one of the most chaotic races of the 2026 season.
The dramatic accident happened on lap 12 of 24 while Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez were battling at the front of the field. Acosta had just defended the lead after an intense Turn 1 fight when his KTM suddenly appeared to suffer a technical issue on the run toward Turn 10.
According to race footage and reports from the circuit, Acostaâs bike slowed sharply without warning. Marquez, riding directly behind, had almost no time to react at racing speed. The Gresini Ducati rider tried to avoid a direct impact by moving to the right, but his bike clipped the rear of Acostaâs KTM, tearing away a large section of aerodynamic bodywork.
What followed were terrifying scenes. Marquez became a passenger as his Ducati shot through the grass at high speed before violently throwing him into the gravel. His bike cartwheeled repeatedly and completely disintegrated, scattering carbon-fibre debris across the circuit.
Official MotoGP updates later confirmed Marquez was conscious after the crash before being transported to the medical centre and then transferred to a local hospital for further evaluation. Fans can follow rider medical bulletins and race information on the official MotoGP website.
Debris chaos triggers more crashes
The crash immediately created danger for riders behind. Raul Fernandez and Johann Zarco were both struck by flying debris from Marquezâs destroyed Ducati, while the bikeâs front wheel detached and bounced through the braking zone.
The loose wheel eventually made contact with Fabio Di Giannantonioâs Ducati, forcing him into a crash as well. Marshals quickly waved red flags as medical teams rushed onto the track.
Despite the severity of the incident, several riders managed to return damaged bikes to the pits. Pedro Acosta was helped back after receiving assistance from KTM teammate Brad Binder and later support from Pramac Yamaha riders Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Only Alex Marquez and Enea Bastianini, who had already retired earlier with another KTM technical problem, were officially ruled out of the restart.
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Second red flag after Zarco crash
The chaos did not end there. After a delay of around 30 minutes, MotoGP restarted the Catalan GP for a shortened 13-lap sprint based on lap 11 standings.
However, moments after the restart, another frightening multi-rider crash happened at Barcelonaâs Turn 1. Johann Zarco lost control while braking into the corner and collided with Luca Marini before becoming tangled with Francesco Bagnaiaâs Ducati.
Television images showed Zarco being dragged through the gravel alongside Bagnaiaâs bike in another alarming scene that stunned riders and fans watching worldwide.
Race officials confirmed that Bagnaia and Marini escaped without major injuries, but Zarco required trackside treatment before being transported by ambulance to the circuit medical centre in a non-critical condition.
The second crash forced race control to display another red flag, bringing the total number of stoppages in the grand prix to two.
The Barcelona weekend had already attracted major attention because of the championship battle, but Sundayâs events shifted focus entirely toward rider safety and the frightening consequences of mechanical failures in modern MotoGP.
Fans following the 2026 championship can also read Swikblogâs coverage of Marco Bezzecchiâs strong start to the MotoGP season.
For now, the biggest relief across the paddock is that all riders involved in both incidents were reported conscious. Further medical updates are expected from MotoGP teams and circuit doctors in the coming hours.
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