Marco Bezzecchi “super lucky” to avoid another huge MotoGP crash in Japan
Marco Bezzecchi says he was “super-lucky” to avoid yet another huge crash during practice at the Japanese MotoGP.
Marco Bezzecchi was “super-lucky”, he says, to avoid a high-side during first practice at the Japanese MotoGP.
Bezzecchi’s 2026 MotoGP season has been one of contrast through 15 rounds.
On the one hand there have been the dominant victories in the first three races of the season, plus Mugello. There have also been the impressive rides at places like Silverstone and Aragon where he was hurt.
But the other side of the Bezzecchi coin has been the crashes that hurt him in the first place, most notably those in the race at Assen and in qualifying at the Sachsenring.
At Motegi, the Aprilia Racing rider was close to another, losing the rear off-throttle at turn 11 in FP1, the same place Takaaki Nakagami went down when it was damp early on, breaking his collarbone.
“I started the day immediately [...] with a massive save,” Marco Bezzecchi said after Practice in Japan.
“The problem was I saw some light rain during all the track but the tarmac was completely dry everywhere. Then I reached turn 11, the braking also was dry, and once I went in I started to see that it was a little bit more dark, but because it [asphalt] was new [...] I didn't know if it was a characteristic.
“I walked [the track] yesterday but walking is always different from when you are with the bike.
“So I realised it was wet when the bike was [sideways], so I was super-lucky.
“If I have to say how I saved, honestly I don't know. It was just a matter of luck and I was ready, but sometimes you save it and sometimes not, and you look like you are doing the same things on the bike.
“So I went straight on the box, I said ‘Okay let's wait a little bit because this season I already had enough’.
“Unfortunately I saw Taka [Takaaki Nakagami]. It's a big shame for him first of all because it's always ugly when you get an injury, so I wish him a speed recovery.
“But also in Japan, as a Japanese rider, it was good to have him here for the fans in general. So, hopefully he can come back pretty soon.”
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
