GP racer Jason Dupasquier has died following an accident during qualifying for the latest round of the 2021 Moto3 World Championship, held as part of the Italian MotoGP .
The Swiss rider, aged 19, was involved in a multi-rider accident on the exit of Turn 9 of the Mugello circuit when he came down by himself and was collected by the close following Ayumu Sasaki and Jeremy Alcoba.
With medical teams tending to him on circuit, the air ambulence would need to land on track in order to then transport him to Florence Hospital.
However, just under 24 hours later he would lose his fight for life.
Full Statement from Dorna and FIM:
Following a serious incident in the Moto3™ Qualifying 2 session at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, it is with great sadness that we report the passing of Moto3™ rider Jason Dupasquier.
Dupasquier was involved in a multi-rider incident between Turns 9 and 10, with the session Red Flagged thereafter. FIM Medical Intervention Vehicles arrived at the site immediately and the Swiss rider was attended to on track before being transferred by medical helicopter, in a stable state, to Careggi Hospital in Florence.
Despite the best efforts of circuit medical staff and all those subsequently attending to the Swiss rider, the hospital has announced that Dupasquier has sadly succumbed to his injuries.
Dupasquier had made an impressive start to his second season in the lightweight class of Grand Prix racing, consistently scoring points and within the top ten in the standings.
The FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna Sports pass on our deepest condolences to Dupasquier’s family, friends, team and loved ones.
This was Dupasquier’s second season in grand prix competition after making his debut with the German CarXpert Prustel GP team in 2020. Though that campaign yielded no points’ finishes, he was enjoying an upturn in form in 2021 with a run of five point-scoring results, peaking with a seventh in Jerez.
His Prustel GP team had already decided to withdraw its remaining bike - belonging to Japanese racer Ryusei Yamanaka - from the Italian MotoGP.
Despite both suffering a heavy impact too, neither Sasaki or Alcoba were injured.
Dupasquier becomes the first GP rider to die as a result of injuries sustained on a race weekend since Moto2 rider Luis Salom died in an accident at the Catalunya MotoGP in 2016. They are among five to have died since the turn of the Millennium with Marco Simoncelli (2011), Shoya Tomizawa (2010), Dajiro Kato (2003)
