75 years of history, 4.54km of awesome: the world’s most exciting sport arrives at the Cathedral
Have there ever been so many talking points created off track in such a short span of time? Despite three weekends off, MotoGP™ has been making headlines since the Mugello Test, when the first bombshell rider announcement of the season dropped at 6 pm local time: Jorge Martin is moving from Prima Pramac Racing to Aprilia Racing starting in 2025. This made it fairly clear who would join reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati Lenovo Team, and sure enough, it was soon confirmed: Marc Marquez will move from Gresini Racing MotoGP™ to the factory team. We’ll leave the debate about whether that was the plan all along to the rumor mill.
There was then a lull in the rush of announcements before KTM came out with their big reveal for 2025. The rumor of Enea Bastianini’s move from Ducati to KTM proved true. But the speculation about his teammate hadn’t even started, as KTM managed to keep their full line-up under wraps. It was another bombshell: Maverick Viñales will join the newly orange Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad alongside the ‘Beast’.
Now, we know who will replace Viñales at Aprilia: Marco Bezzecchi, moving from Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. The dominoes are falling into an intriguing jigsaw, but that’s all for 2025. This season, there’s still a Championship to win. With 13 Grands Prix, 13 Tissot Sprints, and a maximum of 481 points still up for grabs, the world’s most exciting sport resumes with a back-to-back lineup of two classic venues, starting with the TT Circuit Assen.
As MotoGP™ celebrates its 75th anniversary, Assen marks its 75th Grand Prix, having been on the calendar every year since 1949, except for one gap in 2020. Heritage at the Cathedral lives alongside what’s often one of the most spectacular race weekends of the season, and there’s even more to race for as everyone takes to the track.
Bagnaia, winner of the last two races and a superfan of the venue, wants to dominate for the points and to make a statement as his 2025 teammate is confirmed. Martin, with only one Moto3™ win at Assen so far, wants to prove that his speed and consistency are universal. Marc Marquez, having already made a point, is still chasing his first Grand Prix win of 2024. Can he achieve it at Assen, one of Bagnaia’s favorite circuits? With the three riders separated by just 35 points, the upcoming weekends are tantalizing as the form book for Assen differs from that for Germany.
Bastianini, only 57 points off the top, could close the gap despite his run-ins with the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards at Le Mans and Barcelona. His last-corner move on Martin at Mugello shows his potential when things go right. Viñales, a master of Assen, has one of the best records at the venue and strong form in 2024. Can he get back into the podium fight?
Aleix Espargaro has strong form at Assen too, including a podium last year after Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was penalized for track limits. Binder had podium pace, and Jack Miller – now on the market for 2025 – has good form at Assen, including his first MotoGP™ win in the rain in 2016.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), now confirmed in orange for next season, will want to get back in the podium battle, and his teammate Augusto Fernandez, who won his first Grand Prix at Assen in Moto2™, hopes to turn his luck around. After a tougher run, Bezzecchi will be looking for a turnaround too. Last year, he won the Sprint at Assen to deny Bagnaia the double and was close behind on Sunday for an impressive podium.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) is quietly impressing, outperforming many fellow GP23 riders, and will want to continue doing so. Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) aim to stop him. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) is on his own mission, aiming for more points-paying finishes.
At Trackhouse Racing, rumors abound, but Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez need to maximize the weekend regardless. Fernandez’s 2024 shows flashes of his potential, including an impressive Sprint lead a few races ago, while Oliveira wants to reassert his authority.
Rumors persist at Honda too. Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) is now in the spotlight as a key piece of the remaining puzzle. On track, the mission is simple: move forward. Teammate Luca Marini, already signed for next season, joins him, as does Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR). Meanwhile, Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) is quietly impressing and is a former Moto2™ winner at Assen.
At Yamaha, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) hopes Assen will boost their return to the front, with his strong record at the venue. Alex Rins, meanwhile, seeks more points in a challenging season, with recent tests showing positive signs for Yamaha.
Off-track headlines will keep us talking, but once the action starts, Assen will capture the spotlight with its stunning racing. Don’t miss it, as the Championship promises more twists, the rumor mill churns, and the longest-serving venue on the calendar is set for another classic.
SHOWTIME:
- Saturday: Tissot Sprint at 15:00 (UTC +2)
- Sunday: Grand Prix at 14:00 (UTC +2)
Moto2™: can Roberts close in on Garcia?
After a quieter Catalan GP, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) made a triumphant comeback at Mugello, securing pole position and a race win. This marked his first 25-point haul since 2022. Roberts’ timely victory helped him gain valuable points on World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI), who missed out on a podium finish for the first time since the Spanish GP, finishing in P4. Garcia heads to Assen with a slim seven-point lead in the overall standings, keeping the competition tight at the top.
Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) achieved his third podium of 2024, pushing Roberts all the way in Italy. After two no-scores in Le Mans and Barcelona, Gonzalez needed that P2. Finishing just 0.067s from the win, can he build on his best finish of the season in the Netherlands?
The Speed Up Racing duo experienced mixed fortunes. Alonso Lopez secured P3, but Fermin Aldeguer’s challenging season continued after an incident with Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team). A second consecutive DNF leaves the pre-season favorite in urgent need of results.
Jake Dixon (CFMoto Aspar Team), the 2023 Dutch TT winner, seeks a better outcome as we return to Assen in 2024. After a podium finish in the Catalan GP, he couldn’t replicate that success at Mugello. Dixon aims to repeat his 2023 triumph, where he edged out Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) for the win. Ogura, after finishing P5 in Italy, is also eyeing a return to the podium.
Can the Cathedral of Speed deliver another classic? Who will come out on top? We’ll find out on Sunday!
Moto3™: Veijer takes aim at Alonso
The current Moto3™ scene can be summed up in two words: David Alonso. The CFMoto Aspar Team rider has achieved three consecutive wins, bringing his season total to five victories in seven races and extending his lead to a healthy 37 points as the series heads to the Cathedral of Speed.
This weekend, however, marks a homecoming for Mugello runner-up Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). The Dutchman arrives in Assen with three podiums in his last four outings, the other being a P4. Following Daniel Holgado’s (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) challenging Italian GP, Veijer is now just 11 points behind the Spaniard, who currently holds P2 in the Championship. Could a second win of 2024 be on the horizon for Veijer on his home turf? Thousands of fans will be hoping so, and he’ll do everything he can to deliver.
At Mugello, Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) finally secured his long-awaited debut podium, while his teammate Ivan Ortola will be eager to bounce back after a final lap crash cost him a top-three finish. Ortola is now 15 points behind Veijer as the summer break approaches. Can they close the gap at the top? And can anyone stop Alonso?
Official MotoGP Press Release
