Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez’s Dutch Grand Prix weekend started with a big crash in the opening practice session on Friday. The Ducati rider highsided at turn 15 within the first 10 minutes.
Marquez lost control on the entry before tumbling through the gravel trap. He immediately removed his glove to inspect his left hand as he got to his feet.
The Spaniard briefly returned to the paddock, but was back out on track with just under 20 minutes remaining. This was his biggest accident since he joined the Ducati factory squad at the start of the year.
The last time Marquez missed a race was the 2023 Dutch TT, when he was still a Honda rider. He’d injured his ribs at the previous event in Germany.
Neil Hodgson worried by Marc Marquez body language after Assen crash
Marquez left the Ducati garage and returned to the engineering truck. Team boss Luigi Dall’Igna went to join him.
While he emerged soon after in fresh overalls and gloves, TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson expressed concern over his condition. He was walking very gingerly and appeared a little dazed.
Marquez has a reputation as a crash-happy rider. But by topping the session at Assen – three-tenths ahead of Maverick Vinales – he once again showed he was ‘made of Teflon’.
“Let’s have a look at his body language,” Hodgson said. “He’s not good at all. He is not good at all.”
As Marquez re-emerged, he added: “He looks shaken, though. I had a feeling that was his weekend over. We’ve seen him crash so many times. But he’s made of Teflon, isn’t he?”
MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin remains out of action for Aprilia but hopes to return for the summer break. Lorenzo Savadori is once again deputising, while Aleix Espargaro is in for Luca Marini at Honda.
Ducati already risked injuring Marc Marquez in Mugello celebrations
Marquez leads his brother Alex by 40 points heading into the weekend. That means he could afford to miss a race and would still be guaranteed to retain his championship lead.
Of course, he and his rivals don’t have that mentality. Martin Brundle is in awe of the toughness of MotoGP riders and the speed with which they get back on the saddle.
Ducati mechanics dropped Marquez as they celebrated their victory in Mugello last time out. There was no harm done, but it could easily have gone wrong.
Davide Tardozzi may speak to his team about being more careful in future. As it stands, it looks as if only an injury could deny him the title.
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