Moto GP
Marc Marquez Reflects on Assen Sprint Crash: ‘A Mistake, But Fortunate to Avoid Injury
Marc Marquez comments on his "error" following crash during Assen sprint
'On the bright side, I could have been injured but fortunately, I wasn't – particularly this morning'
Marc Marquez did not complete a MotoGP Sprint race for the first time this season due to an unexpected accident at the beginning of the second lap in Assen.
The Gresini Ducati racer, who began the race in seventh position after a high-speed accident during an attempt to overtake Aleix Espargaro at Turn 7 in qualifying, managed to move up two spots on the first lap.
However, his race was abruptly cut short shortly after when he hit the inner curb at Turn 2, causing a jolt that led to his downfall and exit from the competition.
Marquez stated that making an error and having an accident is always unfavorable.
"During the initial lap, I made contact with the kerb and noticed a bump, which made me decide to be more cautious on the following lap."
"However, trailing the group, I lost track of the line, struck the bump once more, and was unable to maintain control of the front."
“It’s unfortunate for the race, as the connection with the bike was great, and now we have to regain that during the warm-up session.”
The eight-time world champion remarked, "On the bright side, I avoided injury, which is particularly fortunate given what happened this morning at Turn 7."
"Many racers were lined up, waiting for a tow. At the final turn, Aleix passed me, causing me to get somewhat trapped behind him."
"I hadn't intended to pass him, but when I noticed he was gearing up significantly for Turn 7, I seized the opportunity."
"I wasn't driving significantly faster than my quickest lap, but I encountered a bump. Fortunately, I crashed without involving anyone else."
The Sprint accident has resulted in Marquez falling 44 points behind the championship leader Jorge Martin and 29 points behind his future Ducati factory team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.
On Saturday, Bagnaia and Martin ended the race in the same positions they had secured during the qualifying rounds, with Bagnaia in first place
With Marc unable to continue, his team-mate and brother Alex was the sole Gresini rider to finish the race.
Alex faced a challenging race as well. He maintained fourth position for a significant portion of the Sprint but fell to seventh in the final laps. During this time, he was also handed a long lap penalty for going beyond track limits.
This resulted in a three-second penalty after the race, causing Marquez to lose another position and finish behind Fabio Quartararo in eighth place.
"If there had been two fewer laps, the outcome might have been entirely different," he commented.
"All jokes aside, we had some difficulties with the rear tire as the race progressed. However, we did manage to gather valuable data on the front hard tire, which will be crucial for the main event."
"At this point, we need to make some precise adjustments, and by tomorrow, we'll be in a position to compete for a spot in the top five."
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