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· Daily Mail
Joel Esteban's Moto3 German Grand Prix came to a premature end after he was caught up in a dramatic incident involving fellow rider Adrian Cruces during Sunday's race at the Sachsenring. The drama occurred on Lap 8 when Adrian Cruces suffered a violent highside and was thrown onto the track. Esteban, with nowhere to go, was forced into an instant decision.
The Spanish rider chose to sacrifice his own race rather than risk colliding with the fallen Cruces. Esteban steered away from the incident, sending himself and his motorcycle into the gravel trap. His race ended immediately, while the quick evasive action helped avoid an even more dangerous impact.
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He does SO WELL to avoid him!
— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) July 12, 2026
Esteban narrowly misses Cruces as they tangle in the gravel #MotoGP | #GermanGP | Live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/g2z21Arwxl
Marshals rushed to the scene as both riders were attended to following the crash. Fortunately, the incident did not escalate despite the frightening nature of the accident. Esteban's race ended in disappointment, but his split-second reaction prevented what could have been a much more serious collision.
For Esteban, the crash marked a bitter end to a race that had promised another opportunity to score valuable championship points. Instead, his afternoon ended with a retirement through no fault of his own after being left with nowhere to escape the incident ahead. Although the result was disappointing, his actions demonstrated the awareness and composure required in one of the world's most competitive racing categories.
