Moto2 rider handed strong penalty after COTA pile-up left rival with broken leg

Alberto Ferrandez has been handed a pit lane start for causing a scary red-flag accident in the US Moto2 Grand Prix at COTA.

Ferrandez lost control while braking for Turn 11 on the opening lap, then slammed into Angel Piqueras and Filip Salac.

David Alonso, Collin Veijer, Daniel Munoz and Sergio Garcia were also caught up in the mayhem.

Miraculously, most riders walked away with only Ferrandez, Piqueras and Garcia unable to make the restart.

Piqueras took the brunt of the impact and suffered the worst injuries, undergoing surgery for a fractured femur and ankle. 

The MSI rider also sustained two rib fractures, a pulmonary contusion and a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

On the eve of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, the FIM MotoGP Stewards held a hearing with Ferrandez, declaring that he had been ‘riding in an irresponsible manner causing a crash’.

Although it is Fernandez’s first offence of the season, because the incident occurred on the opening lap - when penalties are harsher due to the risk of danger to multiple riders - he has been given a pit lane start for his next grand prix.

That means if Ferrandez misses this Sunday's Jerez race, the penalty will carry over to his next Moto2 grand prix.