That championship fight just took a brutal, sudden turn. As Speedcafe reports, the factory Aprilia rider saw his Grand Prix of Australia weekend end in disaster when he crashed out of second place on Lap 8 at the high-speed Hayshed, tumbling violently through the gravel trap.
The Spaniard was stretchered away from the scene and taken straight to the on-site medical centre. The diagnosis is as heavy as the fall: a fractured wrist.
It is a devastating blow to his title aspirations, casting serious doubt over his participation in the remaining rounds of the season. He had arrived at the sprint holding a two-point advantage over Marquez, but that thin margin has evaporated into a 10-point deficit following the crash.
To make matters worse, Marquez will start Sunday's feature race from pole position and now looks set to extend that advantage even further. Before the accident, the factory Aprilia rider was poised to start the grand prix from fourth on the grid.
