‘I’ve had stitches in my chin, but they don’t count towards the championship’

Despite two terrifying crashes, Marc Marquez didn’t suffer any significant injuries and, above all, he didn’t lose his sense of humour after requiring stitches in his chin.

At the start of the first practice session, Marquez had a hard fall at almost 200kph, hitting the Assen circuit with such force that his hand lost circulation.

And in the afternoon, he lost control and was dragged across the track and gravel, hitting his chest and chin, which required stitches.

It was an image reminiscent of the serious accident he suffered at Mugello in 2013, when he injured the part of his face least protected by the helmet.

Ducati released the report from Dr. Angel Charte, MotoGP’s medical director, which said: “Following the heavy crash suffered today during practice, Marc Marquez has attended the medical centre at the Assen circuit, where it has been confirmed that he has no fractures.

“The rider only suffers bruises to his face, a finger, stomach, and left elbow (also from the morning crash). Marc Marquez will be able to participate in tomorrow morning’s FP2 session.”

“The best part is that everything was just bruises,” Marquez explained on Friday evening. “This morning my hand went completely numb, which is why I was a little scared. It was a result of the blow to the ulnar nerve near the left elbow.”

The impact on the gravel in both crashes has resulted in Marquez seeking changes to the track.

He said: “They have to replace the gravel, because it’s made of stones. That should be replaced by next year.”

Despite being in pain, the Ducati rider didn’t lose his sense of humour. “They gave me stitches in my chin, but they don’t count towards the championship,” he said with a laugh.

“I have bruises all over my body, obviously [that happens] when you have crashes like that. But both have a reason. The first was due to a lack of temperature in the rear tyre, and the second because I had to do the fast lap on the compound from the morning crash.”