Marc Márquez Wins, Francesco Bagnaia Takes Third Place
At the Dutch GP, a chaotic early phase saw BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP’s Álex Márquez crash out and retire. Amid the turmoil, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marc Márquez engaged in a fierce duel with Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi, ultimately clinching victory by 0.6 seconds to earn his 68th career win. Márquez’s teammate, Francesco Bagnaia, returned to the podium in third place.
Bagnaia Grabs Holeshot as Quartararo Falters at Start
Pole-sitter Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) had a poor launch, allowing Bagnaia to seize the holeshot at Turn 1. Álex Márquez slotted into second, followed by Marc Márquez in third. On Turn 1 of Lap 2, Marc overtook Álex and began closing in on race leader Pecco.
Álex Márquez Crashes Out, Diagnosed with Broken Left Hand
The incident occurred on Lap 6 when Álex Márquez collided with Pedro Acosta coming out of Turn 5 and crashed. Smoke was seen near the front brake lever, raising suspicions of a mechanical issue, but it was later confirmed that he had suffered a fracture in his left hand. On the same lap, teammate Fermín Aldeguer high-sided at Turn 11, causing a chain reaction that involved Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Quartararo. Mir went down, and Quartararo dropped to 13th position.
Second Half of the Race: Márquez vs. Bezzecchi Showdown
Once in the lead, Márquez maintained a pace of 1:32.273 on Lap 13, but Bezzecchi responded with the fastest lap. Pecco passed Acosta to reclaim third and continued setting personal bests to join the fight at the front. Still, Márquez remained flawless and timed his moves to shake off Bezzecchi, who stayed within 0.2 seconds. With two laps remaining, Márquez extended the gap to 0.7 seconds and sealed his 68th MotoGP victory.
Winner – Marc Márquez
“It’s unfortunate that Álex had to retire, but I stayed focused on my own race. The bike felt great, and I was able to stay concentrated all the way. Bezzecchi was really fast and put a lot of pressure on me, but I’m glad I managed to hold on until the end. It’s an honor to match Agostini with this win.”
2nd Place – Marco Bezzecchi
“I pushed to the limit, but Marc was incredibly strong today. I’m happy to bring a double podium to Aprilia and proud of this result at Assen. Huge thanks to the team.”
3rd Place – Francesco Bagnaia
“My start was good and the rhythm wasn’t bad, but I lost a bit of pace in the middle of the race. Still, it’s positive to be back on the podium in third. I’ll aim for a higher result in the next round.”