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 ꦍItalian 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 bot💖h 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 b൲ike, I said, ‘from where is it coming?’ Then I felt the contact, which was quite big. Then we were really lucky ꦐnobody 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 ওa lottery. So we will see…”

Told of Marquez’s words, Morbidelli responded:

“I didn't൲ try to overtake him! I was doing🔯 my corner.

“He got overtaken꧒ 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 a🔜nybody. 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 ꦐit all race long because overtaking is so difficult nowadays.

“This is the result. People risking, riskin⛄g, risking.”

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

“The approach is even more aggꦬressive because people know now what is the game. So everybody is more aggressive. Everybody is pushing mꦅore 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 o♛n 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 impꦰact 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,” Morbide🤪lli 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 se🍰cond race. I feel sorry to him that I hit his leg.”

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