Jason Dupasquier. (Steve Wobser / Getty Images)
Fabio Quartararo dominated on Sunday Italian MotoGP on a gloomy racetrack in Mugello that was shaken by the death of the 19-year-old Swiss Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquierwho succumbed to injuries sustained in an accident in qualifying with several motorcycles.
“We all know the risks, but it’s hard to lose one of your own,” said Yamaha’s French world champion, who raised a Swiss flag on the podium in honor of a “friend” whose promising young career was brutally cut short in fashion.
“This is for Jason. I didn’t really know him, he was just a kid. I tried to get it out of my head, but I thought of him every time I passed the place it happened”, he said of the rider, whose death was announced by MotoGP organizers around noon.
“We are deeply sad to announce the loss of Jason Dupasquier,” said MotoGP on Twitter.
“On behalf of the entire MotoGP family, we send our love to his team, family and loved ones. You are missed very much, Jason. Ride in peace, ”the statement said.
Dupasquier crashed in his second season in Moto3 and was hit by at least one motorcycle before sliding across the track at turn nine during Saturday’s qualifying.
Doctors rushed to the scene and after treating him on the route for 40 minutes, he was flown to the hospital.
The driver, described as “a leading figure in Swiss motorsport”, died in hospital in Florence after suffering severe brain damage and undergoing breast surgery overnight.
Quartararo said, “It was a strange day, lots of emotions, every time I turned nine I thought of Jason.
“It’s not a great feeling to win a win, but we lose one of our friends.”
Quartararo crossed the finish line with over two and a half seconds of daylight back to Portuguese Miguel Oliveira in second, with reigning world champion Joan Mir completing the podium.
The sixth stage of the season was preceded by a minute’s silence for the sport’s first death since Luis Salom died in 2016 training in the Catalonia Moto2 in Barcelona.
As the MotoGP roadshow continued despite the tragic circumstances, it was Quartararo who set a new lap record on Saturday when he secured pole, which came out with his third win of the season to consolidate the drivers’ standings.
He is now 24 points ahead of Zarco with Francesco Bagnaia, an early fall Sunday, two points behind in third place and the Australian Jack Miller, winner of the two races before Mugello, in fourth place.
“Incompatible with life”
Miller was part of a legion of leading figures in the sport, the Dupasquier, the Australian Ducati rider who wrote on Twitter: “Rest in peace Jason, think of his family and his team” next to a red heart tribute.
The Careggi Hospital in Florence, which treats Dupasquier, confirmed to AFP that the teenager had suffered brain injuries that were “incompatible with life”.
The motorcycle umbrella organization FIM, the IRTA umbrella organization of the teams and the sport’s commercial rights holder, DORNA, issued a joint statement on the tragic news.
“After a serious incident in Moto3 qualifying 2 at the Gran Premio d’Italia, it is with great sadness that we report the death of Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier,” it said.
His team, Pruestel GP, had already retired from Sunday’s race, and Tom Lüthi, a Swiss Moto2 rider, also retired to be in the hospital with Dupasquier’s family.
The Japanese Ayumu Sasaki and the Spaniard Jeremy Alcoba were also involved in the terrible accident. The organizers reported that both were “okay”.
Dupasquier, whose father Philippe was a former motocross rider, was in Moto3 in his second season.
In the race for his German team, he finished his rookie Moto3 season last year without points, 28th in the overall standings.
After five races in 2021, he finished 10th with 27 points.
The joint statement by FIM states: “Dupasquier had an impressive start to his second season in the lightweight Grand Prix racing, scored consistently and was among the top ten in the overall standings.
“The FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna Sports express our deepest condolences to Dupasquier’s family, friends, team and relatives.”