Cathedral of Speed or University of Motorcycles are the names that history has attributed to Assen. Yes, because tradition dictates that only the great champions win in Holland and Francesco Bagnaia confirms the rule with a memorable weekend. The Lenovo Ducati team rider was unbeatable and after winning the sprint race on Saturday, he put together a masterful performance in the GP on Sunday. The victory by a wide margin over Martin, who was also very strong, seems to be only a prelude to what we will experience in this hot summer of racing, but for now let’s see in our usual report cards, who goes up and who goes down among the protagonists of the class queen in one of the most exciting events of the year.
I top 3
Francesco Bagnaia: 10 + – it undoubtedly was the best, the one who, after having already given a hard time in the short race, breaks every balance by going on to win a Dutch Grand Prix with clear superiority. Nothing sensational or humiliating for his direct opponent Jorge Martin, but when clearly in command, the rider from the official Ducati team left no room for any desire to recover. Only the great champions win at Assen.
Jorge Martin: 8 – to have come second he did so over the others with the same authority as the first. The good thing is that a driver leaving a team, from the Ducati projects, of a team emerging from the Ducati orbit, is playing for the world championship to the end and continues to build its ranking with fast laps and excellent performances. Bagnaia seems unbeatable and if it is for him, it is for everyone. But in racing you never know, the championship is still long and the Spaniard is right to always believe, anything can happen!
Fabio Di Giannantonio: 7 the smallest of the chasing group, those of the real race. The smallest not in age, but in firepower. And yet he gave everything he had, once again earning the spotlight and finishing a race in fourth place after Marquez’s demotion. While those in front were going off to do a championship of their own, the real fight was done by Di Giannantonio among monsters. Great!
The hero of the day
Enea Bastianini: 7.5 – Starting from far away, on a track like Assen he could only do one thing, reassemble by managing his motorcycle-tyre package. He did it, but without many compliments and found himself in the ideal position of being part of the all-Ducati podium. An honor collected with a beautiful final sprint against the usual punisher Marc Marquez. His performance is that of a veteran and an anthology.
I flop 3
Pedro Acosta: 5.5 – He had done everything right, squeezing his Gas Gas and racing as always with a knife between his teeth. Even the contact during the race with Marquez could have been appreciable and for once it seemed to have reversed the roles between the two. Unfortunately, Acosta paid dearly for his impetuosity and perhaps also for having really burned his tires, with a crash on the last lap. His distinct performance has too negative a balance to get a passing grade.
Maverick Viñales: 5.5 – The ups and downs that characterize Viñales’ path in MotoGP have now also become the trend of the individual race. With the possibility of getting on the podium, he was unable to stop the ferocity of his opponents and Marquez, who put him in line at the last braking point. We saw Maverick give up before he should have and it is not possible to know if he was lacking in rubber or competitive nastiness, but the fact is that he did not hit a podium that for most of the race seemed more than within his reach, even if with the penalty inflicted on Marquez he regained a position.
Marc Marquez: 5,5 – one wonders how he can achieve so much with a 2023 configuration bike, but just seeing him race is enough to give you the answer. It’s a shame that due to tire pressure he received a 16 second penalty, enough to relegate him to tenth place. The truth is that at the finish he was fourth. In the past people joked about fourth place, the wooden medal, but the real disappointment is the less than exciting test given that as soon as someone named Acosta allowed himself to do the Marquez, the eight-time champion fell for it with both feet. It’s an episode, but added to the irregularity of the tyres, we don’t get to number 6. Too bad.
