Franco Morbidelli makes 'difficult' decision to sit out Czech Grand Prix following heavy crash at Sachsenring
Published 17/07/2025 at 09:56 GMT+1
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Italian Franco Morbidelli has made the "difficult" decision not to ride in this weekend's Czech Grand Prix after a heavy crash at Sachsenring last weekend. The VR46 rider fell early in the sprint race last Saturday in wet conditions, causing his leather suit to open. Tests confirmed he did not have a serious injury but with the summer break looming, he has decided not to risk his shoulder further.
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Italian Franco Morbidelli has made the "difficult" decision to sit out the Czech Grand Prix this weekend after suffering a heavy crash in Germany.
Morbidelli, who sits fifth in the FIM World Championship standings, fell going through Turn 8 on the third lap during Saturday’s sprint in extremely wet conditions at Sachsenring.
The impact was so severe that his leather race suit opened. He was taken to hospital to check that there was no serious damage.
Thankfully for the Italian and the VR46 team, there were no fractures, but the shoulder was still painful enough to prevent him from competing in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
A week later, and with the summer break taking place after the conclusion of the Czech Grand Prix, Morbidelli feels it is still not worth the risk to ride.
He said: "Following two days of medical checks, physiotherapy sessions and rest, we decided together with the team to miss this GP at Brno.
"It is always difficult to take decisions like this, but after a heavy crash like the one I had in Sachsenring and in this moment of the championship before the summer break, it doesn’t make any sense to take risks, because the pain is still persistent.
"Obviously, it’s not an easy moment, but I received a lot of support from all my team, the VR46 Riders Academy and all the fans who look forward to seeing me fully recovered."
Morbidelli’s withdrawal means that Fabio di Giannantonio will be the sole VR46 rider at Brno.
Ahead of the summer break, the gap at the top of the standings could widen to more than 100 points, as Marc Marquez looks to extend the lead over his brother Alex.
The Ducati rider sits atop the tree with 344 points, having won seven of the 11 races this season and comes to Brno in sublime form off the back of four consecutive victories.
Those wins at the Aragon, Italy, Netherlands and Germany Grand Prix have put him in a strong position but despite the Championship seemingly headed his way, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali was more focused on Marquez’s teammate Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia.
He told Sky Italia: "Marc rode an extraordinary race, but Pecco's part always worries us a little. If I had the solution to his problems, I would have already suggested it.
"Obviously, the issue isn't simple here.
"Pecco is a guy who won the last race he did in the wet. So something isn't working, but in the wet [things] are a little different, and I don't think they're so chassis-related."
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Bagnaia did follow up the disappointing sprint race on Saturday with a third-place podium finish on Sunday in Germany, which saw him lose further ground to the Marquez brothers, who finished first and second.
The 28-year-old was left frustrated at finishing seven seconds behind Marc Marquez, but admitted it was a small step forward, while Domenicali praised his rider for bouncing back.
Bagnaia said: "It seems like, no matter where I start, I always finish in third and clearly, we need to change something.
"We are making small steps forward, and while it is not ideal, we recovered positions and scored important points, which is what matters most."
"Pecco also did a great job after a tough race yesterday in the wet, he regained confidence, and I was happy to see him back on the podium," Domenicali added.
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