‘I just hit the back of Marc’: Quartararo ‘sore’, second accident on scooter

Marquez, who had gained seven places at the start of his first MotoGP race since June, momentarily backed off on the exit of Turn 3 to save a rear-wheel slide.

But Quartararo had no chance to react, slamming into the back of the Repsol Honda and being thrown down the road, suffering friction burns and abrasions to his chest as he was clipped by the bike.

“Sore and burned,” said Quartararo, when asked how he was feeling. “It’s a shame because it's the first time I felt good in Aragon for many years.

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“Marc turned so well, but also had a slide. I had better traction, didn't expect it and just hit the back [of him]. I don't remember exactly the situation, but it's a shame in just the third corner.”

While Marquez went on to suffer another clash with Takaaki Nakagami shortly after, the drama wasn’t over for Quartararo either.

Quartararo: 'The marshal hit head-on with another scooter'

“I had a second crash. And it was quite fast actually. Luckily I didn't take off my helmet,” Quartararo said. “The marshal just hit [head on] with another scooter.

“I don't have any injuries from that crash, everything I have is from the first crash. But I think the marshal is a little bit sore.”

Without the Marquez collision, Quartararo - seventh at the time of his fall - felt he could have been in the group fighting for third to sixth.

Quartararo did at least get some unexpected assistance on an otherwise nightmare day with Enea Bastianini overtaking fellow Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia to snatch victory on the final lap.

Without that pass, Bagnaia, winner of the previous four races but still 30 points adrift at the start of the grand prix, would have been just 5 points from Quartararo rather than the 11-point difference heading into Motegi next weekend.

“Japan is a track I love,” Quartararo said. “Hopefully we can race there [despite the typhoon warnings] because many riders have not been in Japan on a MotoGP bike, like Bastianini.

“I feel Japan can be a good track for us because even if there is a lot of acceleration, there is also a lot of braking. That is our strong point. So hopefully Japan happens.”

Third place for Aleix Espargaro means the Aprilia rider now completes a title top three covered by 17 points, with five rounds to go.