The accounts given by Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez regarding the incident involving Franco Morbidelli at Portimao last Tuesday indicate that the crash was more serious than initially thought. Morbidelli, along with the Marquez brothers, was present at the Portuguese venue for road bike training ahead of the upcoming pre-season testing at Sepang. Following his crash on the Ducati Panigale V4S, Morbidelli was taken to a local hospital for CT scans and checks, although he was released after a two-day stay. However, his participation in the Sepang test remains uncertain as he has yet to arrive at the Malaysian circuit. The Marquez brothers, who are now teammates at Gresini and part of the Ducati camp, were the first to reach the crash site. Both Marc and Alex provided concerning descriptions of the incident during separate occasions.
During a Gresini press conference in Jakarta, Marc described finding Morbidelli unconscious on the run-off area and in an unusual position with his head facing upwards. The brothers immediately placed him in the recovery position to ensure proper breathing. However, they had to wait for two minutes for the ambulance to arrive, which felt like a long time. The specific reasons for Morbidelli’s uncertainty regarding the upcoming test are unclear, but his loss of consciousness indicates a severe concussion-like symptom. Additionally, it has been reported that a small blood clot was discovered in his head during hospital examinations. Morbidelli expressed gratitude to Marc Marquez, despite their rivalry, recognizing that they are both professionals and wish the best for their opponents. Alex emphasized that their reaction was simply a human response that anyone would have in that situation.