WATCH: Throwback to Fabio Quartararo’s terrifying turn 2 crash at 2019 Australia MotoGP

As the 2024 Australian Grand Prix approaches, fans and riders alike will recall the dramatic 2019 edition. The incident in 2019 saw MotoGP star Fabio Quartararo narrowly escape serious injury in a crash that shocked the Phillip Island Circuit. Then a rookie, Quartararo was gunning for his maiden MotoGP victory when a massive high-side crash at Turn 2 left him clutching his left leg in agony and sent ripples through the paddock.

Quartararo’s crash occurred during the closing moments of the Friday morning practice session, with just over three minutes remaining. Racing through the Siberia left-hander, the young Frenchman lost control of his Petronas Yamaha SRT bike, suffering a major high-side. As Quartararo tumbled in the gravel, onlookers watched in suspense as he clutched his lower left leg in obvious discomfort.

Here is the video:

Thankfully @Petrux9 and @FabioQ20 escaped their scary turn 2 crash unscathed! 🙌

Hear what they had to say after the race 🎙️#AustralianGP 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/ySJtTmk82z

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 28, 2019

In an incident that could have spelled the disaster for his campaign, Quartararo was quickly attended to by track marshals and taken to the medical center. Initial fears of a serious injury, including fractures, were alleviated when medical staff confirmed that the 20-year-old had only suffered a hematoma in his left ankle. While the injury was painful, it did not require surgery, and doctors ruled Quartararo fit to continue riding for the weekend.

What did Quartararo say about the incident?

However, the pain was significant enough to force Quartararo to miss Free Practice 2 later that day. Petronas Yamaha SRT confirmed that the young rider would sit out due to the painkillers he had been administered, though they promised to monitor his condition closely and provide updates ahead of the following day’s practice sessions.

Reflecting on the crash later, Quartararo expressed relief that the incident had not been worse, acknowledging just how fortunate he had been. "I’ve been lucky because, after the strong impact on my ankle, I didn’t break anything," he said.

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“The motorcycle didn’t hit me during the fall, only touching my hand with the fairing. Everything hurts, but I’m very happy I didn’t break anything”, he further added. Despite the painful experience, Quartararo managed to post the seventh-fastest time in the session with a 1:40.575, though he trailed the fastest rider, Maverick Viñales, by over 1.6 seconds.