Marquez feels “lucky to escape” monster Assen MotoGP crash unharmed

The six-time MotoGP world champion was thrown from his Honda in a vicious off-throttle highside at the Dulkersloot right-hander in the early stages of FP2 and landed heavily on his knees and right elbow.

Marquez walked away without any serious injury but wouldn’t ride again for the rest of FP2 – ending Friday sixth overall – when rain started to fall.

The Honda rider says he wasn’t pushing when he crashed and has urged HRC to find a fix for the bike’s problematic electronics, as he feels “only Honda riders have these kinds of highsides” - citing similar incidents for Pol Espargaro and Alex Marquez in Portugal, and the crash in which he suffered his career-threatening arm break at Jerez last year.

“Basically, first of all I feel lucky to escape from that crash in a good way,” Marquez said when asked by Autosport about the incident. 

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“It’s true that here in Assen I felt better than what I was expecting and in FP1 I was riding in easy mode.

“In FP2 I went out and said it was time to do a step, and I was riding well also. 

“It’s true I was pushing in some parts of the circuits, but specifically in that point and that kind of corner I was not riding over the limit, basically because there was another rider in front of me and I was doing exactly the same as what he did or even slower. 

“But I’m already pushing a lot to HRC. We cannot have these kind of crashes.

“It’s true that in that kind of corner we are against the electronics, but the electronics are there to stop these crashes and the thing is only Honda riders have these kind of highsides.

“In Portimao Alex and Pol [had them], me here, it was a similar crash in 2020 in Jerez. 

“We need to understand. I checked on the data what I did, if I did something wrong but this time I was riding in exactly the same way like the previous lap. 

“But just the TC [traction control] didn’t keep the slide.

“It’s something there where we must understand for the future.

“For the future, it doesn’t mean next year – it means this year.

“We need something to be more safe because if not it’s impossible to have confidence and be fast again.”

Before his crash Marquez had been trying a new chassis from Honda, which he says was the first update he had on the 2021 bike that has offered him a “clear direction” for the future.

“Yeah, about the chassis, I’m really happy with the job that HRC did because maybe it’s the first thing that I feel some potential with for the future, some clear direction,” he added.

“I feel like it was working well. It’s true I need to compare more deeply in another race track, but I feel not bad.

“So, I was happy, immediately when I tried it I saw something different; different riding style, different way to understand the things and overall I like it. 

“But, anyway I want to confirm it in the future.”