2023 MotoGP Crash Statistics: Surprising Insights and Notable Riders

2023-07-03 10:06:41

166 falls were recorded in the official crash statistics for the MotoGP class in the first eight Grands Prix before the summer break, an average of 20.75 per race weekend. After all, the number of crashes fell compared to the first quarter of the current season. Because in the first five Grand Prix with the new format, there were an average of 22.8 falls per MotoGP weekend.

However, the premier class will remain the category with the most accidents in 2023. In the Moto2 class there have been 124 crashes so far this season and even in the often hectic World Championship entry-level Moto3, riders have fallen less frequently, 126 times so far.

For comparison, the crash figures for the 20 Grand Prix season in 2022: a total of 335 crashes in MotoGP (an average of 16.7 per event), 428 in Moto2 (21.4 per event) and 343 in Moto3 (17, 5 per event).

Already 14 falls by Marc Márquez

The Repsol Honda factory riders were hit the hardest in the first part of the 2023 season: New signing Joan Mir led the inglorious list of kings of falls until he injured his finger in Mugello on his twelfth downhill run over six race weekends and subsequently up to and including Assen failed.

His teammate Marc Márquez caught up with Joan’s absence at the Sachsenring with five serious falls in around 40 hours. At the Dutch TT, the eight-time world champion suffered falls 13 and 14 of the season in FP2 and Q1.

The 30-year-old superstar went into the summer break as the sole leader in the crash statistics – even though he completely missed the Grand Prix in Las Termas, Austin and Jerez after his thumb injury in Portimão, as well as the main races at the Sachsenring and in aces

The reason for this was the after-effects of his heavy highside in the warm-up for the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. “If you push and fall, then you accept it,” said the six-time MotoGP champion. “In the warm-up at the Sachsenring, however, I had an unexpected crash after only two laps without pushing. It’s difficult for a driver to understand.”

His brother Alex Márquez has also often ended up in the gravel bed, as in the case of Mir, the Gresini Ducati newcomer currently has twelve falls. GASGAS rookie Augusto Fernández (11) and Red Bull-KTM factory rider Jack Miller (10) also have a double-digit number of crashes.

By the way: The crash king of the small classes is currently Moto2 driver Aron Canet with twelve crashes.

The MotoGP regular rider with the fewest accidents is – apart from Pol Espargaró, who only had one day of practice – World Championship leader Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. The Ducati factory rider has not fallen to the ground since his racing crash in Le Mans (collision with Maverick Viñales).

MotoGP crashes in the first eight GP weekends of 2023:

Marc Marquez, Honda, 14
Joan Mir, Honda, 12
Alex Márquez, Ducati, 12
Augusto Fernández, KTM, 11
Jack Miller, KTM, 10
Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 9
Miguel Oliveira, Aprilia, 8
Marco Bezzecchi, Ducati, 7
Di Giannantonio, Ducati, 7
Luca Marini, Ducati, 7
Jorge Martin, Ducati, 7
Brad Binder, KTM, 6
Raul Fernandez, Aprilia, 6
Johann Zarco, Ducati, 6
Enea Bastianini, Ducati, 5
Franco Morbidelli, Yamaha, 5
Takaaki Nakagami, Honda, 5
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha, 5
Alex Rins, Honda, 5
Maverick Vinales, Aprilia, 5
Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati, 4
Pol Espargaro, KTM, 2
Jonas Folger*, KTM, 2
Stefan Bradl*, Honda, 2
Iker Lecuona*, Honda, 1
Danilo Petrucci*, Ducati, 1
Michele Pirro*, Ducati, 1
Lorenzo Savadori*, Aprilia, 1
Dani Pedrosa*, KTM, 0