The Grand Prix MotoGP The Dutch Grand Prix at Assen began in the worst possible way for the Gresini Racing team and its two drivers, Fermín Aldeguer et Alex Marquez having been victims of violent falls.
That of Fermin AldeguerThis forced him to withdraw from the rest of the weekend. The 20-year-old Spanish driver was rushed to hospital for further examination..
The accident occurred in the fast Duikersloot corner (turn 11), the same one where he had already fallen the previous year.Having gone low-side, Aldeguer slid before being violently thrown into the air upon landing in the gravelAlthough the impact speed wasn't very high, the driver began to roll abruptly, suffering the worst consequences in the gravel trap.Although he remained conscious after the accident, he nevertheless had to be evacuated on a stretcher..
The following day, Gresini Racing confirmed the diagnosis: the young Spaniard had suffered a fracture of the T7 vertebra.This injury worsened when he began to spin violently in the gravelThis withdrawal is a major blow for Aldeguer, whose second season in MotoGP had already been compromised by a fractured femur at the beginning of the year..
The Gresini team's disastrous day didn't end there. Moments after Aldeguer's crash, his teammate Alex Marquez then crashed in the same spot, causing a red flag three minutes before the end of the session.While Márquez escaped with a contusion to his right shoulder and abrasions, X-rays revealed no fractures.Uncertainty still surrounds his participation for the rest of the weekend..
This double accident has plunged the Italian team into a difficult situation. Francesco Bagnaia, the official Ducati rider, expressed surprise that the session wasn't stopped earlier after Aldeguer's crash.The paddock is now awaiting the results of further examinations to determine the exact nature of the young Spaniard's injuries.His withdrawal is all the more cruel as it jeopardizes a season already marked by injuries and setbacks.
