ASSEN, Netherlands — Marc Marquez has urged MotoGP officials to review the safety of TT Circuit Assen’s gravel run-off areas after a series of violent crashes during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend reignited concerns about rider protection at one of the championship’s fastest circuits.
The factory Ducati rider said the current gravel traps are causing riders to become airborne when they crash at high speed, increasing the risk of serious injury. Marquez raised the issue after several dramatic incidents overshadowed one of the most competitive race weekends of the 2026 season.
Among the most significant accidents, Gresini Racing rookie Fermin Aldeguer suffered a fractured vertebra during practice that ruled him out for the remainder of the summer. Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi also required hospital evaluation after a high-speed crash early in Sunday’s race, although he was later discharged without major injuries.
Both riders tumbled repeatedly through the gravel after leaving the track, prompting renewed scrutiny of the circuit’s run-off design.
Marquez, who also experienced a minor crash at Turn 16 during Friday practice, said he approached the Assen weekend cautiously because of the physical demands of the fast, flowing circuit and the potential consequences of any mistake.
“Assen is a very nice circuit,” Marquez said. “I already said last year and I will keep saying this year because they need to do something about the run-off areas because every rider that’s going on the gravel with high speed is flying.”
He pointed to Aldeguer’s accident as an example of how even relatively routine crashes can become dangerous once riders enter the gravel trap.
“On Friday we saw Fermin get injured. It was a normal crash but when going on the gravel, he hit the ground,” Marquez said. “Today, Bezzecchi started to roll when going on the gravel, so they need to understand what they need to do.”
Bezzecchi lost the front of his Aprilia at Turn 15 while chasing Marquez for third place on the second lap of Sunday’s race. After sliding into the gravel, he rolled several times before stopping only a short distance from the barriers near the pit lane entrance.
Although medical examinations confirmed he escaped without significant injuries, the incident alarmed several riders in the paddock.
Honda rider Luca Marini described Bezzecchi as fortunate to avoid striking the wall and believes modifications to the run-off area are necessary.
“I think he was really lucky not to hit the wall,” Marini said. “He was super lucky and I hope he’s good and I hope he has a speedy recovery for Sachsenring.”
Marini argued that modern MotoGP bikes now carry much greater corner speed than in previous years, making existing run-off areas increasingly inadequate.
“With the bikes now, the corner speed is unbelievable,” he said. “If you crash there, maybe there is not enough space because even you saw that he was rolling into the gravel.”
Marini suggested extending the run-off area while reconsidering the use of gravel in certain sections of the circuit. He noted that Jorge Martin’s crash during practice at Turn 12 produced a different outcome because the rider slid across dry grass instead of gravel.
“Without gravel, with the dry grass, it was perfect,” Marini said. “He didn’t jump, he didn’t roll like Aldeguer did.”
The Honda rider added that Turn 15 and Turn 7 should both be reviewed during the next MotoGP Safety Commission meeting.
“We will have a talk with the safety commission and try to improve it,” Marini said. “The wall also was not in a good position.”
Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales also questioned why Aldeguer’s relatively low-speed accident resulted in such severe injuries.
“I’ve seen Bezzecchi’s crash on the replay, and kind of like Aldeguer, when they hit the gravel, they fly so high,” Vinales said.
He noted that Bezzecchi entered the gravel at much greater speed, making the Italian’s violent tumble easier to understand, but found Aldeguer’s accident more concerning.
“Aldeguer was not fast on the gravel,” Vinales said. “It was a normal little high-side, but normal crash.”
Aprilia rider Jorge Martin, who left Assen as the championship leader, also believes the surface beyond the asphalt played a key role in reducing the severity of his own practice crash.
“Luckily, there was a lot of run-off area and after all the asphalt, we had some green and not gravel,” Martin said.
“I think if there was some gravel, I would have started making some backflips, and it was not good.”
The renewed safety debate comes as MotoGP continues to evaluate circuit designs in response to ever-increasing motorcycle performance. Riders have consistently emphasized that while gravel traps remain effective at slowing bikes, their interaction with riders during high-speed crashes may require reassessment as machines become faster and cornering speeds continue to rise.
With several leading competitors now calling publicly for changes at Assen, the issue is expected to become a major topic when MotoGP’s Safety Commission next meets ahead of the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.
