Following the messy and unpredictable Moto2 and Moto3 sessions, the MotoGP practice followed suit. The TT Circuit Assen provided multiple crashes, two red flags and a tight fight for the top spot.
Trouble For Marc Márquez
It hasn’t been an ideal day for Marc Márquez. Practice 1 saw a big high side crash for him at Turn 15. Whilst he was able to return to the track and finished the first session P1, the team reported he had a bruised and painful left elbow.
In Márquez’s final fast lap of practice, the bike slipped out from under him in Turn 7. It was an unassuming crash but it shook the Spanish rider – staying down for several moments and receiving help from the Marshals to stand and walk. Despite fighting for the top spot, Márquez finished the session 6th and will progress to Q2.
Warnings Issued and Crashes Galore
Ahead of the session, organisers warned the riders to watch out for their front tyres.
Following on from the drama posed in Moto2 and Moto3 earlier in the day, MotoGP featured a host of crashes around the TT Circuit Assen. Within the first 10 minutes of the session, 6 riders had already crashed. Turn 1 saw Álex Márquez take the first fall of the session, but it was Turn 12 and the final chicane posing the biggest threat.
Red Flags
35 minutes remained when riders started swapping to a soft front tyre to prepare for qualifying. On a fast lap, Ai Ogura, went into Turn 11 with too much momentum and crashed on the exit. The Trackhouse bike burst into flames and race control issued a red flag.
Lorenzo Savadori caused the second reg flag, crashing at Turn 8. With his bike stranded on the track and a small delay, race control stopped the session. The red flag period was extended to allow marshals to clean up some spilt oil.
MotoGP Riders Fought for the Top Spot
Following the green flag, all the riders, including those who had crashed at the start of the session, returned to the track. With times tumbling down, the riders started competing for their spot in Q2.
The two red flags disturbed Francesco Bagnaia’s running, seeing him facing a Q1 exit. It was his teammate as well as his fellow Ducati rider – the two Márquez brothers – who were swapping the fastest time between them. But, eventually, Bagnaia pulled a lap together to advance.
Ultimately, the top spot went Fabio Quartararo, who was continuing to show the pace in his Monster Energy Yamaha bike. See the top ten who are through to Q2 below:
The first day of the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Netherlands in Assen did not disappoint. With M. Márquez potentially facing injuries, do the other riders have an opportunity to take a bite into his championship lead?