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After the terrifying 300km/h accident with Johann Zarco last Sunday, Franco Morbidelli returned to the same Red Bull Ring circuit for Friday practice at the Styrian MotoGP.

Having summoned Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli to a hearing on Thursday, and reviewed all available video evidence, the FIM MotoGP Stewards have penalised the Avintia rider.

UPDATE: The FIM Stewards decision regarding last Sunday's accident involving Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco will be published tomorrow (Friday).

UPDATE: The FIM Stewards decision regarding last Sunday's accident involving Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco will be published tomorrow (Friday). To say it's been a difficult week for Johann Zarco would be an understatement.

After taking a closer look at the video footage of the Johann Zarco-Franco Morbidelli incident in last Sunday's Austrian MotoGP race, Cal Crutchlow said he has now revised his opinion.

MotoGP's immediate reaction to Sunday's shocking accident between Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco has been to extend the tyre barrier and airfence on entry to Turn 3 (pictured) for this weekend's second Red Bull Ring event.

Sunday's live Austrian MotoGP TV broadcast showed in shocking detail just how close Maverick Vinales and especially Valentino Rossi came to being hit by the cartwheeling bike of Franco Morbidelli.

While Johann Zarco thought he had escaped the massive Austrian MotoGP accident with Franco Morbidelli largely unscathed, a fracture to the scaphoid bone in his right wrist was discovered during follow-up checks on Monday.

Shortly after their huge Austrian MotoGP accident, Johann Zarco said that he and Franco Morbidelli "hugged each other" in the Medical Centre. "Then after I was sad because, during the interviews, bad things came out from the comments by Franco and Vale."

Update:

Johann Zarco may have still celebrated his first MotoGP podium for Ducati, and the first ever for the Avintia team, but Ducati Sporting director Paolo Ciabatti believes the Frenchman's long lap penalty was 'totally wrong'.

There was a surprise addition to the rider line-up on day two of private testing at Misano. Avintia Ducati's Johann Zarco, unable to ride a Desmosedici due to the MotoGP testing regulations, took to the track on a Panigale V4 Superbike.

New to the Ducati, and having missed some winter tests, Johann Zarco believes MotoGP's dose of five repeat events will work out well for him.

Johann Zarco has become the latest MotoGP rider back on a grand prix track. The Avintia Ducati star spent yesterday riding a Panigale V4 Superbike at the Circuit de Catalunya, marking the first time he had topped 300km/h since the end of the Qatar MotoGP test on February 24.

Tito Rabat is the only Ducati rider on the 2020 MotoGP grid that isn't directly contracted to the factory. Instead, Rabat's deal is with the Avintia team, for which he will race a year-old GP19 alongside new team-mate Johann Zarco.

Johann Zarco has revealed he is spending some of his time in lockdown at home in Avignon studying footage of Jorge Lorenzo at Ducati.

New Avintia Ducati rider Johann Zarco could be one to watch during qualifying for the Qatar MotoGP season opener.

- In an interview with Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, he reveals Kawasaki requested a MotoGP wildcard entry for its Superbike team but were turned down by the series organisers. Ezpeleta also expects to retain its six current MotoGP manufacturers in the next round of factory contracts.

Johann Zarco and Tito Rabat have helped Avintia Ducati launch its 2020 MotoGP campaign following the Sepang pre-season test.

Johann Zarco has left the Sepang pre-season test in an upbeat frame of mind following his three-day debut on the Avintia Ducati.

If Johann Zarco 'shows us he can do good results' at Avintia Ducati, the Italian factory will respond by channelling extra support in his direction during the upcoming MotoGP season.

With 2020 acting as continuity over reformation following on from last year, a number of small but key adjustments will come in for the new MotoGP season. Here’s what to keep an eye out for in 2020. Sporting and Technical rules:

With the 2019 MotoGP season predicted to trigger a year of changes in a frantic rider market, it is also likely to become a pivotal campaign for some the sport’s biggest names.

MotoGP in 2019 witnessed thrilling action on track and dramatic turn of events off it which will define how the year will be remembered. From surprise splits to rifts between manufacturers, the year has been filled with talking points some of which will spill into 2020.