Assen: Two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia is set to overtake championship leader George Martin at the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen as MotoGP storms into the second half of the season.
Martin, who moved from his fellow satellite team Ducati next April, accelerating his attack on the third championship in a row, just 18 points ahead of Pecco’s Bagnaia.
After victories at Bagnaia Catalunya and the home circuit of Mugello, the Ducati factory team riders return to the weekend at Assen, one of the Italian racers’ favorite tracks.
Bagnaia won at Assen in 2022 and 2023, becoming the first since fellow Italian and mentor Valentino Rossi claimed victory here in 2004-2005.
“I love this track, this crowd,” Bagnaia, 27, said of the legendary circuit and the atmosphere at the Assen circuit, tattooed on his arm.
Waiting in the wings is Marquez, who will join Bagnaia at Ducati Lenovo next year, moving from Gresini to Ducati after a long stint with Honda last year.
The Catalan veteran – hampered by accidents and injuries in the past – has returned to form and has been rewarded with a seat with Bagnaia next year.
After agreeing a deal with Ducati to join Bagnaia, Ducati will surely be called by many as the “dream team” for Lenovo in the 2025 season.
But Marquez will have some proof: he has not won a race since October 2021 and is 35 points behind leader Martin – a gap he wants to close.
Martin, known as ‘The Martinator’, joined Aprilia through the 2025 season in a ‘multi-year deal’ earlier this month.
The Aprilia race became available after veteran Spanish rider Aleix Espargaro announced his retirement at the end of the season.
This will be Assen’s last appearance when Espargaro debuted as a rider in 2009 as a substitute for the Balatonring team.
Other riders will also be looking to do well in Assen, including South African Brad Binder, who missed out on the podium last year as a result of a road limit penalty.
Title rivals Martin and Bagnaia set for duel at MotoGP’s ‘Cathedral’
