Rossi apologises for causing crash with Nakagami in MotoGP Dutch TT

Rossi was challenging Nakagami for 10th place at the fast Turn 8 right-hander in the early stages, but hit the deck as he lunged down the inside.

He collected Nakagami in the process, with both riders going off into the gravel at speed. The Japanese rider then taken to the medical centre for a check-up.

"I tried to overtake Nakagami in the entry of the Turn 8, but I was a little bit too much out of the line maybe, because when I entered I lost the front and unfortunately I also took [out] Nakagami," Rossi explained.

"So I have to say sorry because it's my mistake. And it was also a quite big crash. I'm OK, fortunately I know that Taka is also good, so this is important."

Nakagami's LCR team confirmed in the aftermath that he had escaped any fractures in the accident, and that he had simply been dazed after hitting his head.

Summing up his race, which ended with his third consecutive crash, Rossi said: "It's a great shame because it was a difficult weekend, where I had also some unlucky [moments].

"But the bigger problem is that I was quite slow, not fast enough."

Rossi felt that his track limits infringement in FP3, which wiped out his fastest lap and denied him a place directly in Q2, was the key moment in his unravelling weekend.

"For me the bigger problem is that I did the [fifth-fastest] time for the Q2, but I [went in] the green [zone], and I had to go into Q1.

"[That was] also a little bit unlucky. But everything started because I'm not fast.

"So we have to find something because usually on this track I'm always good, but I didn't feel good with the bike, I didn't ride well."

But Rossi say that his team "modified something on the bike" that made him stronger in the race before the crash.

"It's good to have Sachsenring next weekend, because it looks like we found something to be a bit more competitive. So we will see next weekend in Germany."