Marc Marquez continued his 2025 MotoGP masterclass at the TT Circuit Assen, clinching a hard-fought victory at the Dutch Grand Prix and extending his lead in the championship to a commanding 68 points.
It wasn’t an easy ride by any means. Despite enduring two big crashes during Friday’s practice sessions and qualifying off the front row for only the second time this season, Marquez bounced back in classic fashion. The eight-time world champion took the win in Saturday’s sprint and followed it up with a gritty performance on Sunday to complete his third straight weekend double.
The Gresini Ducati rider was hounded for much of the 26-lap race by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, who kept the pressure on from start to finish. Bezzecchi had no shortage of pace and stayed glued to Marquez’s rear tyre but couldn’t quite find a way through. Ultimately, Marquez crossed the line just 0.635 seconds ahead, grabbing his 68th premier-class win, tying the legendary Giacomo Agostini. Only Valentino Rossi, with 89 wins, remains ahead.
Marc Marquez
“I was expecting the win, even though – like yesterday – I wasn’t the fastest rider on track. I managed the gap in the early stages, then controlled the race, and I’m very happy because we scored another 37 points. Obviously, I’m not fully satisfied, as my main rival – my brother – crashed and got injured. But that’s racing. I want to thank Ducati and the team, who worked until late on Friday after I destroyed the bike twice.”
Pecco Bagnaia rounded out the podium in third after a rollercoaster race. He got the best launch off the line and led the early laps, but Marquez made his move at Turn 16 at the end of lap five to take a lead he never gave up. Bezzecchi followed suit three laps later, passing Bagnaia in the same spot.
Bagnaia dropped to fourth when Pedro Acosta passed him on lap nine, but he clawed his way back to reclaim third place. In the end, Bagnaia finished 2.666 seconds off the win and now sits a massive 126 points behind Marquez in the championship standings.
Acosta settled for fourth, 3.418s off the lead, with Maverick Viñales coming home in fifth for Tech3. Behind him, there was plenty of intra-team drama at VR46, as Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli clashed late in the race. Morbidelli cut the final chicane during the battle and was hit with a long lap penalty, eventually finishing behind his teammate in seventh.
Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez had a solid outing in eighth, just ahead of Enea Bastianini, who stormed from 20th on the grid to finish ninth after serving a grid penalty. Fabio Quartararo completed the top 10 after a scrappy race that saw him pushed off-track while trying to avoid Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer, who crashed right in front of him at Turn 12.
It was another bruising weekend for Quartararo, who had started on pole but faded early and struggled to recover. He also lost significant ground in the championship standings, where he now sits 10th overall.
The Assen weekend also spelled trouble for Alex Marquez. He crashed out on lap six during a battle with Acosta and broke his hand in the process. He’s since undergone successful surgery but now trails his brother Marc by 68 points.
Elsewhere in the field, Brad Binder brought the final KTM home in 11th, followed by Johann Zarco (LCR Honda), Alex Rins (Yamaha), Jack Miller (Pramac), and Somkiat Chantra (LCR Honda) to round out the points. Aleix Espargaro finished just outside the points in 16th for Honda.
The race wasn’t short on drama. Honda’s Joan Mir and Gresini’s Aldeguer both went down in the same Turn 12 incident, though fortunately both riders escaped serious injury. Miguel Oliveira and Ai Ogura tangled on the opening lap, sending Ogura into the gravel, while Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori was another unfortunate faller.
With 9 rounds down and 13 to go, the championship fight is heating up—but at the moment, it’s Marc Marquez who’s riding high and rewriting history at every turn.
