MotoGP Sunday Bagnaia retains Assen crown ahead of Martin, penalty for Marquez

The gap at the top of the table is now 10 points, with #MM93 falling further behind after receiving a tire pressure penalty that relegated the eight-time World Champion to tenth place.

Francesco Bagnaia’s performance at the Motul TT Assen was nothing short of spectacular. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider claimed victory from pole position, executing a Sunday masterclass that narrowed the Championship gap to just 10 points. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) trailed him home, focusing on damage limitation. Bagnaia’s triumph marks his third consecutive MotoGP™️ Grand Prix win in a single season, a feat last achieved by himself in 2022 when he secured four straight wins from Assen to Misano. Additionally, this win at TT Circuit Assen ties him with Casey Stoner for the most victories with Ducati, both having 23 wins. As the series moves to Germany, Martin will look to respond.

Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) surged from a challenging qualifying to complete the podium, pushing past Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) initially finished fourth but was demoted to tenth due to a tire pressure penalty.

At the start, Bagnaia secured the holeshot, with Viñales maintaining second position briefly before Martin, starting from P5 after a three-place penalty, overtook him. Marc Marquez quickly moved up to third, creating a tense battle at the front.

Behind them, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) jostled for positions. Di Giannantonio made significant progress, overtaking Acosta and eventually passing Viñales and Marc Marquez to challenge for the top spots.

With 19 laps remaining, Di Giannantonio overtook Marquez, who seemed to let him through, possibly seeking a reference to follow. The Ducati duo of Di Giannantonio and Marquez stayed close, with Viñales and Acosta in pursuit. Bastianini was steadily closing the gap to the podium contenders.

By nine laps to go, Bastianini had passed Acosta and joined the leading group. A shuffle in positions saw Viñales and Bastianini make critical overtakes, with Bastianini moving into fourth by seven laps remaining. He continued his charge, eventually taking third place from Viñales.

In the final laps, Acosta crashed out, and Viñales went wide, allowing Marquez to slip through. However, Viñales was later penalized for exceeding track limits, promoting Di Giannantonio to fifth. Marquez’s penalty relegated him to tenth place.

When the dust settled, Bagnaia’s dominant performance capped a weekend where he topped every session except the Warm Up. Martin secured a valuable second place, while Bastianini claimed back-to-back podiums. Di Giannantonio was classified fourth, with Viñales in fifth. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished sixth, followed by Alex Marquez in seventh and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) in eighth. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) took ninth, with Marc Marquez completing the top ten.

Unfortunately, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) suffered a significant crash at Turn 1, resulting in a right wrist fracture and being declared unfit.

As the paddock heads to Germany, the Championship battle intensifies. With just ten points separating the leaders, all eyes will be on whether Martin can challenge Bagnaia once more or if Marc Marquez can reclaim his dominance at one of his favorite tracks. Next weekend we go again!

RESULTS

192,554 fans flocked to the Motul TT Assen, making it the biggest crowd for the event since 1995

Moto2 Ogura fends off Aldeguer for Assen victory

In Triumph’s 100th race powering Moto2™, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) secured his second victory of 2024 after a thrilling battle for the top spot at the Motul TT Assen. Ogura triumphed over Fermin Aldeguer (Folladore SpeedUp) and Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) in a closely contested race.

Ogura seized the holeshot from his first front-row start of the season, but by Turn 5, Aldeguer had taken the lead. Aldeguer quickly found his rhythm and established a one-second lead by Lap 5. Meanwhile, Garcia, who had initially fallen to P5, fought his way back up to P2.

The gap between Aldeguer and the chasing pack, led by Garcia and Ogura, stabilized at just over a second for several laps. Behind them, Alonso Lopez (Folladore SpeedUp) led a group of Kalex riders, including Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™), and Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team).

With 11 laps remaining, Ogura overtook his teammate Garcia for P2 after a small mistake by Garcia, while Aldeguer extended his lead to 1.6 seconds. However, nine laps from the finish, Aldeguer received a Long Lap penalty for exceeding track limits. After serving the penalty, he dropped behind Ogura and Garcia, with the top three now separated by just 0.8 seconds with six laps to go.

With four laps remaining, the fight for victory was intense as Ogura, Garcia, and Aldeguer were tightly packed. Garcia’s mistake at the start of Lap 20 caused him to drop 1.5 seconds behind the leaders, leaving Ogura and Aldeguer to duel for the win. On the final lap, Ogura pulled ahead, delivering a stellar performance to secure his second win in three races. Aldeguer settled for second place, and Garcia finished a distant third.

Jake Dixon led the Kalex charge with a strong P4 finish, while Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) completed the top five. The riders now look forward to next weekend’s German GP.

RESULTS

Moto3 Ortola denies Veijer the home turf dream by just 0.012

Until the final chicane, it seemed like Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Intact Husqvarna GP) was destined for victory at the Motul TT Assen. However, Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) had other plans. The Spaniard led the early laps, while the Dutchman took charge in the later stages. On the final lap, it turned into a fierce duel for Dutch TT honors. Ortola executed a daring move around the outside of the chicane to clinch victory by a mere 0.012 seconds.

David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) secured the final podium spot after overtaking Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Championship leader David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team).

In the initial stages, Ortola and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) set the pace. Veijer eventually caught up, bringing the group back together. With nine laps remaining, the race evolved into a classic Moto3™ battle. Veijer surged to the front and began to build a gap. However, as the pack reshuffled, Ortola worked his way back into second place, gradually closing the gap to Veijer, setting up a thrilling showdown.

At the start of the final lap, Ortola was right on Veijer’s tail, and the two riders pulled ahead, creating a private battle for victory. Ortola made his decisive move at the final chicane, overtaking on the outside. Veijer attempted to reclaim the lead in the sprint to the finish line, but Ortola narrowly secured the win by 0.012 seconds.

This victory marks Ortola’s first win of the year and Veijer’s fourth podium of 2024. Both riders gained valuable points in the championship race. With Alonso finishing fifth and fellow contender Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) in 12th, Alonso’s lead has shrunk to 39 points ahead of Veijer.

Check out the full results below and join us next weekend as Moto3™ takes on the Sachsenring!

RESULTS

Official MotoGP Press Release