Francesco Bagnaia: 'I Got Scared And Lost The Front' After Incident With Maverick Viñales

Bagnaia and Viñales clashed on the opening lap of the Austrian MotoGP, with both riders crashing out of the race.

Bagnaia was attempting to overtake Viñales on the inside at Turn 2 when the pair made contact, sending both riders tumbling to the ground.

Speaking after the race, Bagnaia said he was "very scared" after the incident, which he believes was caused by Viñales cutting across him.

"I got scared and I lost the front," Bagnaia said. "I tried to overtake him on the inside, but he cut across me and we touched. I'm very disappointed because I was feeling good on the bike and I was hoping to fight for the podium today."

Viñales, who was also penalized for the incident, said he was "sorry" for what happened and admitted that he made a mistake.

"I'm very sorry for what happened," Viñales said. "I made a mistake and I take full responsibility. I was trying to defend my position, but I misjudged the situation and I ended up colliding with Pecco. I'm glad that both of us are okay, but I'm very disappointed with myself."

The incident was the second major crash in the MotoGP race at the Red Bull Ring, after Fabio Quartararo and Takaaki Nakagami collided on the opening lap. Quartararo was able to continue racing, but Nakagami was forced to retire with a broken collarbone.