Hilarious moment Moto3 rider accidentally jumps onto a rival's bike mid
This is the incredible moment Moto3 Americas GP racer Ivan Ortola climbed onto the WRONG motorbike following a brutal crash with rival Stefano Nepa in Texas.
The racing rivals were going head-to-head at the Circuit of the Americas - home of Formula 1's US Grand Prix - when they came unstuck and crashed into each other at Turn 15.
Thankfully both men were quickly back to their feet, but Nepa may have been surprised to see his rival sprinting towards the wrong bike.
Instead of jumping on his MT Helmets - MSi bike, Ortola instead ran straight for the MTA Level Up bike of Nepa - which just happened to be the team he previously raced for.
Amid the madness of the crash and the speed with which he tried to rejoin the action, Ortola, 19, appeared to forget he had switched teams.
Ivan Ortola and Stefano Nepa were involved in a crash at Turn 15 of COTA in Texas on Sunday
Ortola (right) was quickly to his feet but began sprinting away from his orange bike (center)
Instead, he tried to mount Nepa's pink bike, much to the frustration of his rival racer
Nepa ripped Ortola from his bike, who was then forced to sprint back the other way again
A mistake that we've seen several times in the past! 🔄@IvanOrtola48 went to the wrong motorcycle! 😅#AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Pdvm7mvM72
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 14, 2024
In a crazy turn of events, Nepa then has to wrestle his rival off his bike, before Ortola then realizes his mistake and has to double back to get on his own vehicle.
It ended up being a day to forget for Ortola, who went on to crash again and did not manage to finish the race, while Nepa came home in 18th.
Fans were quick to take to social media to react to the crazy moment, with one writing: 'Bro forgot he switched team this year.'
Ortola has previously won races but Sunday ended in a DNF and was one to forget for Spaniard
Nepa rides on his MTA Team bike during qualifying, the day before Ortola tried to steal it
Another added: 'Funniest thing I've seen in a while', while one fan noted: 'I have NEVER seen that before.'
At the other end of the standings, David Alonso - racing for CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team - came in 1st overall, scoring 25 points in the championship.
The Colombian started on pole and finished on the top step of the podium after dominating the 14-lap race.