Alex Marquez has voiced strong criticism of the safety standards at Silverstone after a high-speed crash at Turn 1 during the original start of the 2025 British Grand Prix.
The Gresini Ducati rider had just taken the lead into Abbey corner when he lost control and crashed, sliding across the tarmac runoff as his bike slammed into the barriers. While Marquez escaped injury and was able to restart the race following a red flag, he did not hold back about the incident afterward.
Marquez expressed frustration over the lack of gravel at the crash zone, saying the layout mirrors the crash suffered by Carlos Tatay in Moto2 at Portimao in 2023.
“When I crashed, there was no gravel in the place where it should be,” Marquez said. “It was like Tatay’s crash. I was really close to the wall, and my bike hit it. I only stopped 15 metres before the wall.”
Marquez urged Dorna and the MotoGP Safety Commission to be more proactive in addressing track safety:
“They need to act before something serious happens. I’m really angry about this. It’s not about the amount of tarmac runoff—it’s that the gravel is placed too far away from where we can actually crash.”
He warned that if his crash had occurred during a flying lap instead of the race start, the outcome could have been far worse.
Despite the early incident, Marquez managed to remount for the restart and fought back to finish fifth. However, he admitted confidence was low afterward, especially as he returned to the medium front tyre—the same compound he had crashed on.
“I was in a bad way after the crash, with no confidence,” he admitted. “The medium tyre was my choice. I was worried the soft wouldn’t last and could destroy on the right side.”
Though it may not have been the optimal tyre, Marquez was content with the outcome:
“Maybe it wasn’t the right choice, but we finished P5. We need to take the positives.”
Alex Marquez now sits 25 points behind the championship leader and acknowledges he was fortunate to escape unhurt and still collect solid points from a difficult day.
