Marc Marquez, riding for the factory Ducati team, crashed during the San Marino MotoGP sprint in what he described as the “easiest part” of the race. The incident occurred on the same lap he had taken the lead, abruptly ending his winning streak and race hopes on Sunday.
Although Marquez faced a challenging qualifying session and failed to secure a front-row start, he quickly accelerated through the sprint race. At the start, he overtook Fabio Quartararo and soon moved past his brother, Alex Marquez, at Turn 2 to claim second place.
Race Developments Leading to Marquez Taking the Lead
For the initial laps, Marquez closely followed polesitter Marco Bezzecchi. The turning point came on lap five when Bezzecchi made a mistake at Turn 14, allowing Marquez to seize the lead at Turn 6 during the next lap. This move positioned Marquez to potentially continue his remarkable series of sprint race victories.
However, his hopes were dashed shortly after, when he lost control of the front end of his Ducati motorcycle at Turn 15. The crash forced Marquez to retire from the race just as victory seemed within reach.
Breaking a Stunning Winning Streak and First DNF Since Americas GP
This crash ended Marquez’s impressive run of eight consecutive sprint wins that began in June at Aragon. It was also his first Did Not Finish (DNF) in any race since the Americas Grand Prix earlier this season. Marquez’s performance this year has been exceptional, with 10 grand prix victories and 14 wins in sprint races before San Marino.
Marquez Reflects on the Crash and Denies Overriding the Bike
After the sprint, Marquez offered insight into what led to his fall, denying claims that he pushed the bike beyond its limits when the crash happened.
Of course, in that corner, I was on the limit but I was not riding over my limit,
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
He explained that although he was riding aggressively, he did not exceed what the bike and himself could handle and took the risk because he felt he had a stronger pace on that lap.
I did the most difficult thing and I made a mistake in the easiest part, that I forced too much. I went a bit wide at Turn 15, and [it was] a typical crash of Misano.
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
Marquez admitted that the crash happened in a section of the circuit usually regarded as less challenging but where riders still frequently err.
This Season’s Progress and Risk Management
Known for his many crashes in earlier years riding for Honda, Marquez has notably improved his consistency this season. The Spanish Grand Prix was the last time he experienced a crash in either a sprint or grand prix race prior to the recent incident at San Marino.
Nobody is perfect, and in the end, I took a lot of risks during the sprint races this season, and it has been a success every time,
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
He acknowledged that taking risks comes with the chance of failure, and the crash was simply the moment when things did not go his way despite careful riding.
One day is a day [where I was going to crash], and today was the day. Since Austria, one year ago I was not making any mistakes in the sprint, so it can happen, and today was the day. – and in the easiest moment. I say the easiest moment, it was not easy, but I did the most difficult [part], that was leading the race.
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
Marquez also pointed to tyre temperature as a possible factor in the crash, noting that the surface may have been too hot immediately after he overtook Bezzecchi.
But maybe I didn’t take care about the tyre temperature, [that it was] still not correct. It was too hot, because just a few corners ago I overtook Beccechi.
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
Remaining Optimistic as Championship Title Nears
Despite the setback, Marquez’s lead over his nearest challenger, Alex Marquez, remains strong. With Alex finishing second in the sprint, Marc Marquez still holds a substantial points advantage. This gives him the opportunity to clinch his seventh premier class title as soon as the Japanese Grand Prix later this month.
Marquez appeared calm and collected during his media appearance after the race, showing no frustration from the crash.
I’m relaxed,
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
I mean, still 170 points. People are always talking about, ‘when will you close the championship?’. I will try to close as soon as possible, but the most important [thing] is to take it.
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
He also rejected suggestions that he lost focus after taking the lead, maintaining that his concentration was proper.
Today I had the concentration in the correct way,
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
Just the first mistake of the sprint race. I mean, it can happen, but today I’m very happy because the title will be for the Marquez family.
—Marc Marquez, MotoGP Champion
