MotoGP fans all say the same thing about Assen as Marc Marquez involved in spate of Dutch Grand Prix crashes

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Fabio Quartararo topped the timesheets for Yamaha in free practice at the Dutch Grand Prix. But the session was overshadowed by several nasty-looking crashes.

The Dutch Grand Prix practice sessions saw multiple stoppages on Friday, as Moto2 practice was delayed due to oil spilling on the track. In MotoGP FP1, Marc Marquez crashed violently into the gravel and looked shaken after the accident, but was given the all-clear to compete in free practice.

However, the afternoon session sparked utter chaos at Assen. Alex Marquez crashed just two minutes into the session, but recovered to set the second-fastest time behind Quartararo.

Minutes later, his Gresini teammate Fermin Aldeguer, Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli crashed simultaneously at different parts of the circuit. With four accidents in the first 10 minutes, Enea Bastianini and Aleix Espargaro also went down, with the latter looking visibly hurt.

With 32 minutes to go, Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura suffered a horrifying highside as he flew across the track, with his bike bursting into flames in the gravel trap. The session was red-flagged in a lengthy stoppage.

The drama did not stop after the restart, as Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori also had a highside at turn eight, causing another red flag as his bike landed in the middle of the track. In the final two minutes, Marc Marquez crashed again in an almost identical crash to his FP1 incident.

MotoGP fans label the Assen circuit ‘dangerous’ after watching free practice crashes at the Dutch Grand Prix

Marquez looked visibly bruised in the Ducati garage after the session, as teammate Francesco Bagnaia registered a faster time in free practice. The multitude of accidents in the session left fans swarming X (formerly Twitter) to label Assen as ‘dangerous’ for riders.

One fan was terrified by Ogura’s highside as they wrote: “This is so dangerous. I hope u r okay Ogura.”

One user wrote: “That’s 3 today, what’s up with that track?” while another said: “This track is dangerous.”

Some fans even called for Assen to be suspended from the MotoGP calendar. One fan said: “Told you this track is so dangerous now compared to the pass, they might made some changed to fit F1 racing. arrest this track admin immediately.”

Another echoed: “Arrest and suspend this track immediately. Too many crash already compared to other track. Awful for riders.”

One fan questioned what was wrong with the circuit after they saw Savadori’s accident: “Again, why is everyone crashing!? Is there something wrong with the track!?”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend

Marc Marquez risks injury at the Dutch Grand Prix with two massive accidents in practice

The crashes during free practice at Assen highlight not just the dangers of Assen but the sport in general. But that will do little to deter the riders.

Martin Brundle is in awe of MotoGP riders’ toughness and the speed at which they can get back onto the bike. But some riders at Assen were shaken by their accidents, including Marquez.

The Spaniard is at risk of an injury after suffering two massive crashes on Friday at Assen. Marquez leads his brother Alex by 40 points, meaning he could afford to miss this weekend and still be leading the championship.

But he will not want to be sidelined for an extended period of time. Ducati mechanics dropped Marquez during their celebration at Mugello, showing that injury can very easily happen in MotoGP.