Marco Bezzecchi avoided a penalty after colliding with Alex Marquez in the early stages of Practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Phillip Island. The two riders were moving through the fast left-hand Turn 3 before braking for Turn 4.

Marquez braked first, and Bezzecchi tried to move away from his line to avoid him. The Aprilia made contact with the Gresini rider’s leg, ripping the fairing and sending Bezzecchi onto the grass. Practice was briefly stopped with a red flag while the debris was cleared.

The FIM MotoGP stewards reviewed the incident immediately and concluded that no further action was needed. Bezzecchi said he had been very close to Marquez and was trying to avoid him, describing the contact as the kind of racing incident that can happen. He was briefly trapped beneath his bike, but did not aggravate his injured knee.

Marquez said he had been following his usual racing line at his normal pace. In his view, Bezzecchi may have tried to pass because he was faster, but misjudged the move. The Gresini rider also crashed separately at the end of the session.

Bezzecchi was nevertheless able to rejoin quickly and finished Practice fastest with a 1m26.775s lap. The incident therefore cost him neither a penalty nor the session’s leading performance.