MotoGP, Assen: A scary crash for Marco Bezzecchi. The crowd held its breath, then came the good news

The opening moments of the Dutch Grand Prix in the MotoGP class saw a horrific crash by Marco Bezzecchi, who went off the track at Turn 15 during the third lap. The rider for the factory Aprilia team lost control of his bike and ended up in a wide run-off area where, due to his high speed, he somersaulted twice before coming to a stop near the wall, sending a chill down the spines of everyone present.

After a couple of minutes, race officials confirmed that the rider from Romagna had remained conscious the entire time; TV footage also showed “Bez” sitting up and surrounded by marshals as he simply tried to catch his breath. The Assen GP marks the third race in which Bezzecchi has failed to score points in the standings; he had also crashed in Hungary and did not participate in the Czech Republic GP due to disqualification.

Fortunately, the race’s safety systems—both those worn by the rider, such as the suit’s airbag, and those along the track, such as the gravel run-off and external barriers—prevented the incident from taking a dramatic turn. This combination of safety measures has, once again, demonstrated just how crucial the work done in recent years on MotoGP safety has been.