Fermin Aldeguer collided with Pecco Bagnaia at the final corner of the Qatar Sprint, bringing out a red flag and leaving the Ducati rider with multiple foot fractures. Bagnaia was treated trackside while the race was stopped.

The Gresini rider said he had been trying to regain a position from Pedro Acosta. The KTM rider had come through Turn 15 poorly, giving Aldeguer an opening into the final corner. The attempt ended with a braking misjudgement and contact with Bagnaia.

Aldeguer did not regard the move as excessively reckless, although he accepted that he had failed to brake the motorcycle as intended. He also highlighted the conditions at Lusail, where leaving the racing line makes grip and control much less predictable.

The stewards issued Aldeguer a double long-lap penalty for the restarted Sprint. He served it and finished 11th, 9.429 seconds behind the winner. After the race, he apologised to Bagnaia and Ducati and visited the team’s garage to explain his actions. Aldeguer said racing incidents are not viewed in the same way by everyone, but added that he could only apologise and try to prevent a repeat in the coming races. Serving the penalty before the main race was also important to him.