New footage showing the aftermath of last Sunday's high speed MotoGP crash between Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez at the Indonesian Grand Prix has raised additional questions about safety measures at the Mandalika circuit, echoing concerns from a number of riders after the race.
In both fan footage shot from the grandstand opposite posted on social media and from additional video seen by The Race, it appears that while Bezzecchi's move on Marquez triggered the pair's trip into the gravel trap, it was the trap design itself that caused the severity of the newly-crowned world champion's injuries in particular, with Marquez set to miss the next two rounds as he recovers from a broken collarbone.
The issues come from the step change in height between the travel and the preceding asphalt run-off section.
That was actually modified before the weekend's track action got underway, having been identified as a potential problem in the riders' circuit inspections.
But 2020 champion Joan Mir believes it was still a major factor in Sunday's crash.
"I was just behind them," he explained when asked about the crash by The Race. "I think that nobody really crashed in that corner - well, yes, but they were high-sides so they went in a different part of the circuit.
"But in that part, it was very dangerous from what I saw. Not just because of the step that Marc hit, where probably he broke the collarbone for this reason, but also for Bezzecchi.
"I was worried for Bezzecchi, because he was still on the bike when he hit that step and he went to the gravel super fast.
"I don't really understand why we have gravel there. If we just have asphalt, it would be much more safe. We have to discuss this."
When asked by The Race about the riders' concerns, a spokesperson from series organiser Dorna confirmed that the issue was something that had been identified and modified prior to the weekend's action getting underway.
"The first track inspection is always every Wednesday," the spokesperson said in response to The Race's request. "In Mandalika, it picked up that some adjustments were needed to make sure all the gravel traps were the standard profile of 2-3cm below the level of the asphalt.
"So yes exactly – they were adjusted before the weekend, but not by rider request. The gradient of the gravel trap rises slightly after the entry point but in line with the natural curve of the terrain."
Track officials were unmoved when questioned about the gravel traps, with Mandalika circuit president Priandhi Satria telling local media that they would only be engaging with feedback from Dorna and the FIM ahead of next year's event.
"I don't want to comment, I'm waiting for an official letter from the FIM because the report will be released this week," he said.
"So, as of today, I don't feel the need to discuss the gravel. Let's wait a day or two, or until next week, to see if the FIM says the gravel is unsuitable.
"There are also those who say asphalt should be used instead of gravel. The FIM has stated that racing is allowed [at Mandalika] in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. That means the FIM is saying it's safe. If they wanted asphalt, why didn't they do it earlier?
"But clearly, the FIM never said they wanted asphalt. So I don't want to comment on the details until the FIM states what's really going on.
"In my opinion, it comes back to whether the FIM's statement is [that the gravel is] too high and needs to be lowered. But whatever it is, the FIM itself conducted an inspection Thursday afternoon and gave it an A grade."
