Marco Bezzecchi Explains Huge Assen MotoGP Crash

Marco Bezzecchi has described his huge crash at the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen as “a common mistake” in his first public media debrief since the incident.

The Aprilia rider suffered a major crash early in the main race while fighting in the podium battle. Bezzecchi escaped serious injury, but admitted he had a difficult week recovering from pain across his body.

The crash also extended Bezzecchi's difficult run on Sundays, marking his third consecutive non-score. Its impact was immediate in the championship, as he lost the points lead to team-mate Jorge Martin.

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“It was not an easy week at home,” Bezzecchi said.

“The crash in Assen was a big one. Fortunately, no broken bones, but a lot of pain all over my body. Not some easy days. So, basically, I’m very, very happy to be here.”

Bezzecchi explained that the incident happened because he was slightly too fast through the corner. When he touched the throttle, he lost the front, with the speed of the corner making the crash significantly bigger.

“I was just a little bit too fast, and when I touched the gas I lost the front,” Bezzecchi said.

“So, basically this. It was a common mistake, but in a very fast corner. So, this is why the crash was bigger of course.”

Ahead of the German Grand Prix, Bezzecchi has lowered expectations because his physical condition is still not back to normal. He stressed that his situation is different from a standard weekend, having been unable to train at home or try the bike after the Assen crash.

“In a normal situation, for sure the pressure and the approach can change in a normal situation,” Bezzecchi said when asked whether losing the championship lead reduced the pressure.

“For my case, it’s not a normal situation, because realistically, physically, I’m very far from 100%. So, the target for me, at the moment, is not like a normal weekend. I hope to perform good. I hope to fight for the podium or the win.”

Bezzecchi also responded to concerns raised by several riders about Assen's gravel traps following his crash. However, he said the type of gravel did not make a major difference in his case because the crash happened at 200 km/h.

“Well, honestly, for my case, I think with another kind of gravel it was going to be the same [outcome] because the speed was huge,” Bezzecchi said.

“At the end, I crashed at 200km/h. So, for my case, it doesn’t really matter too much the kind of gravel; it’s more the speed that makes the difference. So, for me, it was not a big issue.”

The German Grand Prix now becomes an assessment weekend for Bezzecchi and Aprilia, with the immediate focus on his physical condition from session to session before judging whether he can return to podium contention.