Marc’s March towards History Continues at Assen

Ducati superstar takes 68th win and a 68 point title lead, while Alex Marquez fractures hand in scary crash

Marc Márquez delivered a strategic and commanding victory at the Dutch TT, equaling Giacomo Agostini’s Premier Class win record of 68 victories, while cementing his control of the 2025 title race. Francesco Bagnaia got the holeshot from the centre of the front row, leading a Ducati sweep into Turn 1 as Marc Márquez tried a bold move around the outside of his brother Alex. Alex, however, held firm, while Franco Morbidelli had a nervy moment and both Ai Ogura and Miguel Oliveira found themselves off at Turn 5. Marco Bezzecchi wasted no time clearing Fabio Quartararo into the chicane as the order began to settle.

Marc soon attacked Alex into Turn 1, slotting into second place behind Bagnaia, while Bezzecchi moved past Alex on lap 3, impressing with Aprilia’s updated rear aero package. Quartararo slid rapidly down the order to seventh as Acosta and Morbidelli came through, setting the stage for a reshuffle among the front runners. Acosta then dispatched Alex for fourth on lap 4, a potentially crucial pass for the championship standings given Alex’s tenuous position behind his brother.

Bezzecchi, looking more comfortable by the lap, became the fastest rider on circuit, but Pedro Acosta was in hot pursuit and the top five bunched up. Marc made the defining move of the race on Bagnaia into the final chicane on Lap 5, braking from a distance with fierce confidence. Bagnaia tried to counter straight back, but Marc’s faith in the front end of his Ducati meant no gap was available.

Then came a pivotal championship moment. Alex Márquez and Acosta rubbed fairings at full tilt down the Veenslang before Alex suffered a dramatic high-speed crash—brake lever contact causing a front tyre lock-up.

A flurry of incidents followed: Fermin Aldeguer high-sided out of Struben on Lap 7, taking Joan Mir off with him. Quartararo, forced wide to avoid the carnage, dropped to 13th. Meanwhile, Morbidelli climbed into contention in fifth, with Marc again countering Bagnaia’s efforts handily. Bezzecchi vaulted past Bagnaia into the final chicane on Lap 8, then immediately put a gap between them while Acosta capitalised as well.

Bezzecchi was stuck to Marc like glue, applying relentless pressure. As laps ticked on, the reigning champ responded — on Lap 13 Marc pulled a small but crucial gap and responded to Bezzecchi’s fastest lap with one of his own. Bagnaia wasn’t done though, finding a resurgence on Lap 15 to retake third from Acosta with a blistering 1:32.2 lap.

The final laps saw Marc maintain composure despite a track limits warning that could’ve triggered a long lap penalty. Bezzecchi pushed to the edge, smoking the rear through turn 12, but Márquez remained impenetrable where it mattered—under brakes in the overtaking zones. Despite his mid-race speed Bagnaia was once again relegated to his now familiar third place.

On the last lap, Marquez asserted his superiority to pull a small gap on Bezzecchi and hold a 0.6s advantage across the line. The Dutch TT victory marked his third win in a row—something he hadn’t managed since 2019—and elevated him into the record books alongside Agostini. Bezzecchi’s valiant second is still an excellent result for Aprilia, perhaps giving Jorge Martin a bit more fuel for thought.

Acosta took fourth, with KTM compatriot Viñales following in fifth, hampered by early traffic. Di Giannantonio claimed sixth, ahead of a penalised Morbidelli in seventh. Raul Fernandez delivered a strong eighth, with Bastianini and a recovered Quartararo rounding out the top ten.

Marc Márquez now leads the championship with 307 points, extending his advantage to 68 over Alex Márquez, who stays on 239 after a race-ending crash. Bezzecchi’s strong second-place finish lifts him to 121 points, while Bagnaia holds a clear third overall with 181 points. With Alex Márquez suffering a left hand fracture in the crash, Marc’s championship lead could become close to unassailable if the Gresini rider isn’t fit for Sachsenring in two weeks time – traditionally one of the strongest tracks on the calendar for #93.

2025 Netherlands MotoGP Race

2025 MOTOGP WORLD STANDINGS