With Mugello in the rearview mirror and the 2025 season heating up, the MotoGP paddock rolls into one of the sport’s most iconic venues: Assen. Known as The Cathedral of Speed, the Dutch circuit has been a staple on the calendar since the very beginning in 1949, and its fast, flowing layout rarely fails to deliver thrilling drama. As the second leg of a back-to-back race stretch, Assen is poised to serve up more fireworks.
Following a pulsating showdown in Italy, attention now turns to the Netherlands, where the TT Circuit Assen promises another weekend of intense rivalries, championship twists, and strategic battles.
Marquez, Bagnaia & the Championship Triangle
Mugello reignited the competitive fire between Ducati Lenovo teammates Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia. While Bagnaia clawed back some points with a determined effort, Marquez remains firmly in control of the standings. He’ll head to Assen holding a lead that won’t be erased no matter the result—but Bagnaia is far from out of the fight.
Bagnaia’s record at Assen gives him confidence: he’s won there the past three seasons on race day, establishing himself as a true master of the Dutch circuit. Marquez, while incredibly successful overall, has only taken two victories at Assen—back in 2014 and 2018. He’ll be eager to tilt the balance.
Meanwhile, Alex Marquez, riding for BK8 Gresini Racing, is quietly building momentum. He finished second at Mugello, a strong follow-up to a previously barren record at Assen. Now sitting 40 points behind brother Marc, Alex could be poised to disrupt the top two if his form continues.
Riders with Assen Expertise Look to Rebound
Beyond the top three, several riders with proven pace at Assen are aiming for a turnaround after mixed fortunes in Italy. Marco Bezzecchi, riding for Aprilia Racing, is one to watch closely. Last year he took pole, a Sprint win, and second on Sunday—a strong weekend by any standard. Aprilia will look to build on that, particularly after a decent but not spectacular Mugello showing.
Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha hopes Assen reignites his season. He won here in 2021 and the track’s characteristics often suit Yamaha’s style. A DNF in Italy was a setback, but the Dutch round offers a fresh opportunity. Likewise, Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who has shown flashes of brilliance this season, will be gunning for a breakthrough. He’s often gone well at Assen and remains the most consistently competitive KTM rider in Europe thus far.
Midfield on the Move: Acosta, Aldeguer, and the Trackhouse Duo
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) still leads this chasing pack, sitting 23 points ahead of Quartararo. While he struggled at Assen last season, the 2025 version of Acosta has been more measured and consistent. The hope is that his pace will match his potential this time around.
Fermín Aldeguer had a frustrating time at Mugello but returns to a circuit that holds fond memories. Last year at Assen, he took pole and finished second in Moto2™. A solid showing this weekend could reignite his campaign in the premier class.
The Trackhouse MotoGP Team also comes into the round with momentum. Both Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez finished inside the top 10 at Mugello, with Fernandez securing seventh. Ogura, returning from injury, made a statement with P10. These two are ones to watch, particularly if the weather turns variable—something not uncommon in the Netherlands.
Veterans Looking to Rebound
A few experienced names are hoping Assen brings some relief. Johann Zarco is still sixth in the championship despite a run of poor results, including two DNFs at Mugello. The CASTROL Honda LCR rider scored his maiden MotoGP pole at Assen back in 2017 but has never reached the podium here. A top-10 finish would be a welcome reset.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) managed ninth last time out and has previously flirted with podium contention in the Netherlands. A strong qualifying could set him up for better results on Sunday. Teammate Enea Bastianini, however, didn’t finish in Italy and arrives at Assen in need of a clean weekend.
For Honda HRC Castrol’s Joan Mir, a top 10 is the target after an uneventful Mugello. He’ll be hoping to find the pace that helped him earlier in the season.
Field Fillers, Wildcards, and Dutch Debuts
Miguel Oliveira, now with Prima Pramac Yamaha, recorded his best finish of the season in Italy and will look to carry that form into the Netherlands. His teammate Jack Miller, on the other hand, suffered a DNF but returns to the track where he famously claimed his first MotoGP win in 2016 in the wet—still one of the modern era’s most memorable races.
Alex Rins will race for Yamaha at Assen for the first time, having missed the Dutch round in 2024. Meanwhile, Somkiat Chantra continues to chase his first premier-class points for IDEMITSU Honda LCR.
Injured Luca Marini remains out, with veteran Aleix Espargaro filling in—no stranger to strong Assen performances himself. And Lorenzo Savadori steps up at Aprilia Racing in place of Jorge Martin.
Assen remains unmatched in heritage, hosting more MotoGP events than any other circuit in history. As the series hits Round 10, there’s no better venue for another pivotal weekend in the championship chase.
Moto2™: Can Anyone Stop Gonzalez?
Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) continues to dominate Moto2™, notching his fourth win of the season at Mugello—even after a grid penalty dropped him to P8. With a nine-point lead over Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), the pressure is mounting, and Assen may prove pivotal.
Canet’s podium finish in Italy could be crucial come season’s end. His scrap with Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) was among the weekend’s highlights. Those two—Moreira especially, despite being 40 points behind Gonzalez—remain in the hunt.
Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) impressed with P2 at Mugello and hopes to build on that momentum. Meanwhile, 2023 Assen winner Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) is struggling for consistency and needs a turnaround fast after failing to crack the top 10 since the French GP.
Barry Baltus and Senna Agius, both inside the top six in the standings, also failed to score big in Italy—another sign that Moto2 is wide open behind Gonzalez.
Local support will be firmly behind Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP), as the Dutch crowd hopes to cheer on a home hero.
Moto3™: A Rookie Surge in Full Swing
It was almost destined to happen at Mugello—Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) followed in the tire tracks of his mentor Marc Marquez by taking his first Grand Prix victory in spectacular fashion. His win came in a nail-biting finish ahead of fellow rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by just 0.006 seconds.
That result has elevated Quiles to fifth in the standings, while Carpe is now just a point shy of second-placed Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). Piqueras, who finished seventh in Italy, has yet to podium since Jerez and will be eager to return to the front.
Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda has a healthy 56-point cushion. After finishing fourth at Assen last year, he’ll aim to continue his consistent form. Elsewhere, David Muñoz returns to the Netherlands as a previous podium finisher, while Joel Kelso looks to snap a three-race dry spell.
Veteran Dennis Foggia finally broke a podium drought stretching back to 2022. His strong form could signal a resurgence as the season nears its halfway point.
We’ve had three different winners in the last three Moto3 rounds. Will Assen make it four in a row?
Official MotoGP Press Release
