Johann Zarco reveals knee injury after Catalan GP crash

Zarco will remain in hospital overnight after being diagnosed with a knee fracture in Barcelona

Johann Zarco suffered a “small fracture” to his knee in his terrifying crash at the Catalan Grand Prix on Sunday.

The LCR MotoGP rider posted a video from his hospital bed in Barcelona, revealing the extent of his injuries that he suffered after getting tangled up in Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati at Turn 1.

While the final results of the scans are still not available, Zarco confirmed his thigh bone was not broken as he insisted the crash appeared scarier than it actually was. LCR team boss Lucio Cecchinello had already confirmed earlier that he did not injure the upper half of his body.

"Hi everyone. Don't worry, we're still waiting for the test results,” Zarco said. "I'm wearing a neck brace, but it's more of a nuisance than anything else. It's mostly the knee—the ligaments gave out, but the femur isn't broken.

“There’s a small fracture at the bottom of the fibula, on the outside of my left ankle.

“I’ll keep you posted. Just to reassure you, though: it’s more of a scare than anything serious, let’s say. I’ll keep you posted. I’ll be staying at the hospital tonight because they want to keep an eye on me, and then we’ll see."

Following a full scan, LCR provided an update an update on Zarco's condition: "Johann Zarco sustained injuries to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament, and to the medial meniscus. He also suffered a small fibula tear in the ankle area.

"Zarco will remain overnight under observation and will travel to France on Monday to consult with specialists and assess the next steps in his recovery."

Update: On Monday, LCR issued another statement on Zarco's recovery: "After the crash in Barcelona during Sunday’s race, Johann Zarco left Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya on Monday afternoon and travelled to France.

"On Tuesday, he will visit the renowned knee specialist Dr. Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet in Lyon for a further evaluation of his condition and to determine the next steps in his recovery."

Having qualified as the top Honda in fifth, Zarco initially fought with Alex Marquez and Jorge Martin for third place before dropping out of the podium fight. However, his race came undone at the first restart, when he was involved in a three-way incident with Bagnaia and Luca Marini at Turn 1.

Zarco’s leg got tangled up in Bagnaia’s Ducati as it bounced over the gravel, with both Bagnaia and Marini running after him after he crashed on the ground.

The race was red-flagged immediately, with the ambulance arriving at the scene to attend to the Frenchman. He was reported to be conscious but had to be transported to the hospital for check-ups.

This was the second major crash of the day after Marquez crashed into the back of Pedro Acosta’s KTM, which suddenly slowed down heading into Turn 10 due to a technical problem.

A piece of debris from Marquez’s flying Ducati had already struck Zarco in his leg, but he was able to take the restart.