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The main enemy of every motorcyclist is the force of gravity, it is - so to speak - his fault when he crashes. This applies to those who use the motorbike every day and especially to riders who are used to playing with the limit and sometimes... losing. So, like every year, the falls ranking is published, the only one in which being at the bottom is a positive.
Quadruple figures were again reached in 2023, touching the number of 1,009 tumbles over the course of the season and 20 Grands Prix, not a record because it was done better (or worse) in 2022 with 1,106, while the outright record dates back to 2017 , with 1,126 crashes in 18 GPs. Last year, however, saw a MotoGP record with 358 crashes (equal to 17.9 per Grand Prix), a figure never reached before. However, this was to be expected because with the introduction of Sprints, the risks increased and so did the chances of an error. Indeed, all things considered, the short race didn't have much of an impact, if we think that the crashes in the premier class were only 23 more than in 2022, when the Sprints weren’t there. The young guys in Moto2, on the other hand, have become more 'conscientious' by decreasing the number of their crashes (from 428 in 2022 to 344 in 2023), as have those in Moto3 (from 343 to 307).
Naturally, the session in which there were the most crashes is the race and this applies to all classes: in total there were 303 falls on Sunday, almost a third of the total. Friday is also a treacherous day, especially FP2: in MotoGP they crashed 65 times in the session that decides direct entry into Q2. As for the Sprint, the 49 falls shows that the short distance favours errors.
Marquez and Mir: nightmare team for mechanics
As for the riders’ standings, Marquez and Mir proved to be a bit of a nightmare team... for the mechanics. Marc managed to accumulate 29 crashes, more than ever in his entire career, despite missing 3 Grands Prix due to injuries and not taking part in Sunday's races at the Sachsenring and Assen. Joan, on the other hand, missed 4 GPs and still managed to get on this particular podium with 24 crashes, 5 less than his teammate and the same number as Aron Canet, who keeps the flag of Moto2 riders flying high. In Moto3, however, it was the rookie David Alonso who excelled, hitting the dirt 23 times, like Aleix Esparagaró and Augusto Fernandez.
There has been a lot of talk about Bagnaia's mistakes in 2023; the world champion actually crashed a bit, but always at the wrong time (i.e. in sprints and races). In fact, Pecco shares last place in the standings with Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Vinales with 7 crashes (excluding the riders who only made wild cards or substitutions) which in this case is worth a medal. Jorge Martin, 2nd in the championship, crashed 16 times, Marco Bezzecchi even 20.
We have already talked about Canet in Moto2, but now we add the other riders on the podium: Alonso Lopez is 2nd with 21 falls, Jake Dixon 3rd with 18. Marcos Ramirez, on the contrary, is the rider who crashed the fewest times , just 3, a round of applause also for Fermin Aldeguer, in the gravel only 4 times, like Bo Bendsneyder.
In Moto3, behind Alonso are Diogo Moreira with 18 crashes and Filippo Farioli and Kaito Toba with 16, while Stefano Nepa is the most cautious with just 3 crashes.
Le Mans and Buddh Circuit: watch out for those two
In the category of the most treacherous circuits, however, we find an old acquaintance and a new entry: Le Mans and the Buddh Circuit. The French track is used to accumulating crashes and in 2023 there were 79, the same number boasted by the Indian circuit, which however takes revenge when it comes to the corner with the most errors. In fact, the first turn at Buddh saw 23 riders crash, one less than turn 4 at Phillip Island. The circuit with the least number of tumbles was Termas de Rio Hondo: in Argentina only 23 crashes.
