World champion Francesco Bagnaia was receiving medical treatment after a nasty crash at the start of Sunday’s Catalunya MotoGP.
The Ducati rider set off from pole, avoiding a multi-bike pile up at turn one.
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Then at the next corner Bagnaia lost control, the Italian thrown violently into the air in front of the chasing pack.
Brad Binder’s KTM then ran over Bagnaia’s leg.
The runaway series leader was conscious, and taken away to the track’s medical centre in an ambulance, with the crowd clapping him.
Bagnaia leads the championship by 66 points form Jorge Martin up to his crash.
The race was red-flagged immediately as officials got to work to clear the track of debris and oil.
Also missing was Enea Bastianini, one of the fallen riders also taken to the medical centre for a check-up.
The race restarted for 23 of the 24 laps with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro taking the win.
MotoGP’s medical director Angel Charte later issued a bulletin on the world champion’s condition.
“Pecco has had severe polytrauma, a motorbike ran over him in the femoral and tibial area,” he told Spanish broadcaster DAZN.
“We have taken x-rays of this area and have detected a small injury but we don’t know if it is current or old. We need to do an urgent CAT scan and that is why we have sent him to the general hospital,” he added.
“At cranial, thoracic and abdominal levels, he has been normal at all times. He was conscious and oriented.”
Espargaro’s thoughts were with the stricken world champion.
“This win is for Pecco, luckily we’ve just heard it’s nothing serious,” he said.
Turning to his finest weekend in MotoGP he added: “I’m speechless.
“Thankfully nothing happened to us on the first lap.
“It was difficult in the wind. I thought I would not catch him (Vinales), but I waited and I did it.”
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