During the opening MotoGP Grand Prix, factory Ducati rider Marc Márquez crashed out while aggressively pursuing Raúl Fernández for third place on the podium — a particularly bitter moment for the reigning world champion.
The incident came just one day after Márquez was penalized in the Sprint race for excessive movement toward Pedro Acosta, which forced the KTM rider off track and cost Márquez the win.
Márquez was fortunate to avoid serious injury. His front tire suddenly deflated and partially detached from the rim — which itself appeared damaged upon inspection. The crash occurred at high speed, underscoring how narrowly he escaped a more severe outcome.
Joan Mir on his Honda also suffered a tire failure, though less dramatic, while Jorge Martín experienced a similar issue aboard his Aprilia the previous day.
Michelin Blames Extreme Conditions and Tire Design
Piero Tarabasso, Michelin’s MotoGP technical director, attributed the spate of failures to the combination of extremely high track temperatures and the use of highly aggressive tread patterns this weekend.
Speaking to Canal+, Tarabasso explained: “It hit the tread, the wheel buckled, so the air escaped and the tire came off.” He noted that the rubber compound used is exceptionally soft and the tread design unusually aggressive — factors that, under extreme heat, compromised structural integrity.
Ducati Racing Director Davide Tardozzi added that he had never witnessed such a catastrophic tire failure during his long tenure in MotoGP.