GRESINI TEAMMATES COLLIDE ON AUSTRIAN GP FIRST LAP AS ALEX MARQUEZ CRASHES OUT

The Austrian Grand Prix didn’t deliver much joy for Ducati overall, and it was a difficult day for Gresini Racing in particular after its two riders collided early in the race.

Alex Marquez was the first to suffer the consequences. He crashed out while running outside the top ten, ending his race on the opening lap. Fermin Aldeguer, meanwhile, stayed upright and ultimately finished eighth at a circuit where he had been second last year.

The incident happened in the opening corners as the riders fought for position. Aldeguer explained that he was simply trying to recover places right from the start, saying: “Just the first lap, trying to recover position.”

He then described how the situation developed around him, including other riders in the same battle. Aldeguer said: “For sure, Diggia [Fabio Di Giannantonio] tried to overtake Quartararo, they go a little bit straight.” According to Aldeguer, he was also looking to make a move, adding: “I was in one part and I tried to overtake also Alex [Marquez], and I arrived to Quartararo with a lot of speed.”

Aldeguer said the contact between him and Marquez was not intended to be dramatic, describing it as a minor touch: “I put the bike a little bit straight and we [Aldeguer and Marquez] made a little contact, not super-big.” He felt that Marquez lost more from the clash than he did, but acknowledged that the outcome was still frustrating for both.

“For sure, he lost more position than me. I remained there, but nothing,” Aldeguer said. He also reflected that the move might have been more aggressive than necessary, concluding: “I think in another case, we saw other overtakes [that were] more in the limit.”

Marquez’s teammate shared a similar view of the severity of the contact, but he was still disappointed that it occurred between riders from the same team. “I mean, there was a lot of people there in front,” Marquez said, explaining the crowded nature of the first-lap battle.

He continued: “He overtook me, but then Fabio [Quartararo] was there.” Marquez said the contact followed immediately after that, adding: “We had a contact, and then I was nearly on the gravel, but nothing more.”

While he framed it as a moment that could have been worse, Marquez still expressed regret about the team-mate collision: “I mean, it was like it is, and that's it.” He summed up the feeling with: “It's a shame that happened between team-mates, but first lap, always everybody wants to recover.”

With the race over, the focus for both riders now turns to the final stretch of their time together at Gresini. The two are set to race their last remaining events as teammates.

Marquez will move to the factory KTM team next season, while Aldeguer will remain in Ducati machinery but switch to the VR46 Racing Team.