'Oh my God': Fans in shock over MotoGP rider's horror crash

Alex Marquez miraculously escaped with a minor hand injury after a frightening crash in qualifying for the Valencia GP.

Marquez suffered a vicious highside in the opening stages of Q1 at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, catapulting over the top of his handlebars.

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The Spaniard did a frightening front flip before landing heavily on his backside on the track.

Despite being slow to get to his feet, Marquez did get back to his Honda garage to take his second bike – though only completed an outlap before calling time on his session.

He was taken to hospital for checks, where he was diagnosed with a bone marrow edema in the capitate bone of his left hand.

KTM’s Brad Binder, who was directly behind Marquez, described the crash as “hectic”.

“It bit him so quickly, he was so early in the corner and that was a good indication that there was possibly a little bit of water down,” Binder said.

“I was really lucky that I decided to make a little left turn. If I just … It seemed it was already behind me and I decided to go left anyway.

“I think the bike would have probably landed on my handlebar or at least at the side of me, so I was quite lucky to walk away from that one with no issues.

“It was quite sketchy.”

The MotoGP world was left shocked by the horror footage of Marquez’s crash.

Jack Miller narrowly misses MotoGP victory

Meanwhile, Australia’s Jack Miller had his best race of the season but was just edged out in a titanic last lap duel by Franco Morbidelli.

Suzuki rider Joan Mir clinched his maiden MotoGP crown, becoming the Japanese team’s first world champion in two decades with his seventh-placed finish.

He had begun the race with a 37-point lead over his closest challengers Fabio Quartararo, of Petronas Yamaha, and Suzuki teammate Alex Rins.

His fourth successive top-10 finish saw him emulate American Kenny Roberts Jr., who won the riders' championship for Suzuki in 2000.

With one race to go, Mir has an unassailable 29-point lead over Petronas Yamaha’s Morbidelli, who withstood a spirited challenge from Pramac Racing's Miller to seal his third victory of the season.

Going bike-to-bike over a thrilling last lap, the Italian just edged out Miller by 0.093 seconds, leaving the Australian to reflect on equalling his best effort of the year, a runner’s up spot at the Styrian Grand Prix in August.

This was an even better effort, though, as the 25-year-old Queenslander also recorded the race’s fastest lap. He is currently eighth in the championship overall.

Pol Espargaro, of KTM, completed the podium.

Mir's Suzuki team mate Rins, who qualified in 14th, stormed out of the blocks to make up seven spots in the first two laps as he battled to keep his title hopes alive but the Spaniard managed only a fourth-place finish, leaving him 33 points behind Mir.

Quartararo’s title challenge ended with a whimper as the Frenchman crashed out of the race on lap nine after starting from 11th.

with agencies

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