UPDATE Franco Morbidelli penalised for Alex Marquez clash, appeal rejected

Update: The FIM Stewards have given Franco Morbidelli a Long Lap penalty for 'riding in an irresponsible manner, causing a crash involving Rider #73'.

An appeal by Morbidelli's Monster Yamaha team was rejected on the grounds that Morbidelli "was observed as being ambitious in his attempt to overtake, causing contact and crash with Rider #73".

Marquez was overtaken by Morbidelli’s team-mate Fabio Quartararo into the corner, the Italian then hugged the inside and drew almost alongside the Gresini rider.

But when Marquez, unaware of Morbidelli on the kerb, squared off the exit their paths crossed, sending both riders to the ground.

Others were caught up in the chaos that followed, most notably title leader Marco Bezzecchi, while Morbidelli was lucky to escape largely unharmed when he was clipped by Takaaki Nakagami.

“I didn't expect that because I was on the inside, on the line, there was no space and when I heard a bike, I said, ‘from where is it coming?’ Then I felt the contact, which was quite big. Then we were really lucky nobody hit us [harder].

“For me it was past the limit, because there was no space,” Marquez added. “But I mean [the FIM Stewards decisions] is a lottery. So we will see…”

Told of Marquez’s words, Morbidelli responded:

“I didn't try to overtake him! I was doing my corner.

“He got overtaken by Fabio and went a bit wide. I saw a gap, I went to do my corner nice and tight. I didn't want to overtake him. I said, ‘OK, I put my bike here’ and to me the guy came cutting the line.

“He didn't see me [or] he left no space, I don't know, but the result is that he cut the line, we touch and I crashed. I didn't want to overtake anybody. I just wanted to do my corner.

“But you know, it’s a Sprint race. Every position you gain counts a whole lot. If you gain a position, most likely you're going to keep it all race long because overtaking is so difficult nowadays.

“This is the result. People risking, risking, risking.”

Marquez agreed that, after a relatively calm sprint in COTA, the shorter races have perhaps become even more ‘aggressive’ since their introduction in Portimao.

“The approach is even more aggressive because people know now what is the game. So everybody is more aggressive. Everybody is pushing more and that’s it. It’s racing, we are always on the limit. It’s also true that it's a really thin track here. So anyway it's like it is and we try to approach it in the best way.”

Asked for his opinion Quartararo said: "For me [Morbidelli] was really on the inside, but I'm not the one that is overtaking. Of course, it's a race incident, but optimistic."

Morbidelli: 'Taka deserves a nice present, it could have been much worse'

Morbidelli praised Nakagami for doing everything possible to avoid a heavier impact with his left leg as he lay fallen on the asphalt.

“I'm very happy that nothing serious happened because I remained in the middle of the track and actually I want to thank especially Taka for his reflex in avoiding me,” Morbidelli said.

“I think he deserves a nice present. I will sort out a nice present to give him because he did the maximum to avoid me and he just hit me [a little] but it could have been, much worse.”

Nakagami explained that he had been unsighted until the last moment and was relieved that Morbidelli, like the other riders involved, was able to make the restart.

“I couldn’t see, it was blind and many people were trying to pick up. Me as well. But I hit his leg. I couldn't do anything. I tried at that moment the maximum to not crash and not hit him.

“I'm happy to see that he was on the grid for the second race. I feel sorry to him that I hit his leg.”

Marquez and Nakagami went on to crash out of the restart, when Morbidelli finished 16th.