Morbidelli Out of German GP After Brutal Sachsenring Crash

Franco Morbidelli crashes out of the Sachsenring Sprint and will miss the German GP due to a collarbone injury, as MotoGP’s injury list grows.

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Franco Morbidelli’s German Grand Prix weekend came to a devastating end following a violent crash during Saturday’s MotoGP Sprint race at the Sachsenring. The VR46 Ducati rider, who had shown promising pace throughout the event, will miss Sunday’s main race and return to Italy for further medical evaluation.

The 2020 championship runner-up qualified an impressive fourth on the grid, briefly challenging for pole on his year-old Ducati before he crashed at Turn 8 in Q2. Despite the earlier fall, Morbidelli regrouped for the 15-lap Sprint, launching into second place at the start after Marc Márquez ran wide at Turn 1.

However, Morbidelli’s Sprint hopes ended abruptly just a few laps later when he crashed again at Turn 8, losing control of the rear on entry. The Italian tumbled violently through the gravel, with the impact tearing open his leather race suit, a testament to the force of the crash.

Trackside medical staff quickly attended to Morbidelli, who was first taken to the circuit medical centre and later transferred to Chemnitz Hospital for further evaluation. The VR46 team confirmed he had sustained a severe contusion to the left collarbone, and a later statement confirmed that he would not take part in Sunday’s race.

“Franco Morbidelli will not participate in tomorrow’s German GP due to persistent pain in his left shoulder from today’s crash at the Sachsenring. He is scheduled to return to Italy tomorrow for further medical assessment,” the team announced.

Sachsenring Injury Toll Grows

Morbidelli’s withdrawal adds to an already depleted grid at the German Grand Prix. Somkiat Chantra (LCR Honda) was ruled out before the weekend due to a leg injury sustained during training. Enea Bastianini (Tech3 GasGas) missed the entire round after falling ill, while his teammate Maverick Viñales suffered a fractured collarbone in a crash during qualifying at Turn 4, ending his weekend prematurely.

With multiple high-profile absences, Sunday’s full-distance race now features a significantly reduced field, raising both safety and performance concerns ahead of the summer break.

All eyes will be on Morbidelli’s recovery timeline as the paddock shifts focus to the next round. The VR46 team, meanwhile, faces the challenge of regrouping without one of its key riders.