After the extraordinary double achieved by the Ducati Lenovo Team in the home round held at Mugello three weeks ago, the MotoGP World Championship returns to the track this weekend in the Netherlands for the eighth round of the 2024 season. The event will be hosted by the The TT Circuit Assen is the 75th time, a track that has been on the calendar since 1949, the year in which the inaugural season of the World Championship was held, which turns 75 this year.
The fresh winner of the last GPs held in Barcelona and Mugello Francesco Bagnaia was also the one to have triumphed in the last two editions of the Dutch GP, in 2022 and 2023. The reigning World Champion, currently second in the Championship, arrives therefore a great favorite at the Cathedral of Speed.
Teammate Enea Bastianini also arrives at Assen confident that he can do well, thanks to the good sensations he had at Mugello, where he was the author of an excellent performance, taking second place in the race thanks to a formidable overtaking on the last lap. After the first seven rounds of the season, the driver from Rimini occupies fourth position in the general classification.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2nd (153 points)
“After Mugello it was nice to have three weeks off to recover. I rested a bit, but above all I continued to train, also riding on the track with my Panigale V4S and then taking part in a Monster Energy event at Silverstone together with other riders. But now we’re back to getting serious and I’m happy to restart the season from Assen, one of my favorite tracks which I also have tattooed on my arm. In the last GPs we managed to work well and my feeling with the Desmosedici was excellent; I’m coming off two consecutive victories, three if we also count the Mugello Sprint, therefore, there are certainly the conditions to continue to do well. Let’s hope the weather is good and allows us to work consistently from the first session on Friday but, in any case, I’m ready to face the weekend in any condition.”
Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 4th (114 points)
“This long break was necessary, but now I really want to get back on track. After the good result obtained in the home race in Italy, I arrive in Holland motivated and recharged: I had never managed to get on the podium at Mugello in the past and I managed to do so this year despite still feeling like something is missing, it gives me hope for the next races. Compared to the past, this year I have been more consistent: we are working well and race after race we continue to grow. So I believe we are close to finding that explosiveness that we still lack, even if a step forward has been made. We will work hard from the first session on Friday to be able to fight for the top positions.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will take to the track on Friday 28 June at 10.45 local time (GMT +2.00) for the first free practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Circuit information
Village: Holland
Name: TT Circuit Assen
Fast lap: A. Espargaro (Aprilia) 1:32.500 (176.7 km/h) – 2022
Circuit Record: Bezzecchi (Ducati), 1:31.472 (178.7 km/h) – 2023
Maximum speed: Iannone (Ducati), 319.8 km/h – 2015
Track length: 4.54 km
Duration of the sprint race: 13 laps (59.02 km)
Race duration: 26 laps (118.04 km)
Curves: 18 (6 left, 12 right)
Results 2023
Podium: 1st Bagnaia (Ducati); 2nd Bezzecchi (Ducati), 3rd A. Espargaro (Aprilia)
Pole Position: Bezzecchi (Ducati), 1:31.472 (178.7 km/h)
Fastest lap: Martín (Ducati), 1.33.065 (175.6 km7h)
