Moto3 rider Deniz Oncu has been suspended for two races after a “terrifying” crash during this morning’s race in Texas.
Travelling at over 250 km/h, Oncu chopped in front of Jeremy Alcoba, sending Alcoba crashing to the track.
Andrea Migno and championship leader Pedro Acosta had no chance to avoid the carnage, and were sent flying through the air.
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The race was immediately stopped, but fortunately all three riders escaped serious injury.
“Absolutely terrifying what we’ve just seen there,” said Matt Birt in commentary.
“Absolutely terrifying. Heart in mouth stuff, that is one of the worst-case scenarios.”
The accident occurred on the back straight of the Circuit of the Americas track.
“Horrendous, high speed crash,” added fellow commentator Steve Day.
“I cannot believe we are watching three riders walk away unwounded, from what looked absolutely terrifying.
“That was truly shocking to watch.”
Oncu has been banned from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix later this month, and Algarve Grand Prix in November.
“You were found to have caused a crash by swerving into the line of another rider on the straight portion of the track between T11 and T12,” the stewards said in a statement.
“This contravenes the specific instructions given to all team/competitors by email, and it is considered irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors.
“It is therefore an infringement of Article 1.2.1.2 of the FIM World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.
“For the above reasons and the deliberate causing this serious incident, the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel has imposed a suspension from participating in the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix.”
Safety in the sport’s junior categories is very much in the spotlight at the moment. This morning’s accident came just a week after 15-year-old Dean Berta Vinales died in a crash at Jerez in Spain.
Earlier this year, Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier died after he fell from his bike at Mugello and was hit by a following rider.
And 14-year-old Spaniard Hugo Millan died in July in similar circumstances after falling and being hit.
Speaking before the latest crash, Australia’s MotoGP star Jack Miller urged organisers to look at the reasons why the deaths are occurring.
“The sport is the sport; it’s hard and it’s brutal,” he said.
“That’s part of the beauty of it. It’s so raw. At the end of the day it’s dangerous, and these things can happen.
“There is no easy way around that, but it’s beyond terrible what is happening. It’s atrocious this year, with so many young lives being lost. Looking at Dean, born in 2006 – it’s not long ago. The poor kid didn’t get to live a full life and that’s terrible.
“There has to be a big step taken in looking at the safety, at the way these races go. This can’t continue on. This year has been especially bad, and this can’t continue. We can’t have three young kids losing their lives in the space of nine months.
“I think I speak for everyone when I say that I’m sick and tired of going to minutes of silence for kids that were so, so young.”
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