MotoGP heads to Assen – Intriguing preview – Race schedule

MotoGP 2023

Round Eight – Assen

The FIM MotoGP World Championship continues its series of back-to-back event this weekend at the TT Circuit Assen.

Located in the north of the country, close to the North Sea beaches, the Assen circuit is a historic venue for motor sports, where the Dutch TT began on public roads in 1925, before the construction of the TT Circuit Assen in 1955. The Motorcycle World Championship has been held there every year since it was created in 1949 (the only exception being 2020 due to the pandemic).

At 4542 metres long, the circuit has 18 corners, with 12 right-handers and 6 left. Although slower than Mugello, where the MotoGP bikes topped 370 km/h two weeks ago, Assen is nicknamed the “Cathedral of Speed”. However, it is its sequence of very fast turns that earned it this nickname.

This is it. The final ride before the summer break and there’s no better place to bring the curtain down on the first half of a spectacular season.

If his Tissot Sprint wins and podiums weren’t convincing enough, does taking on the reigning Champion and coming out on top get the job done? It was one of the closest ever finishes at the Sachsenring on Sunday and that was thanks to two riders: Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Lap by lap, the two staged an instant classic and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in the locker at Assen – with Bagnaia also having won here last year.

Francesco Bagnaia

“It’s the last race before a long summer break. Therefore, before starting the second and most challenging part of the season, it will be important to consolidate our position in the standings. We had a fantastic victory last year in Assen, and we will try again this year. I expect a much tighter race and numerous opponents ready to fight for first place. The TT Circuit is one of my favourite tracks, and that’s why the circuit’s layout is also tattooed on my arm! My feeling with the Desmosedici GP is excellent, so I am confident I can do well again this weekend.”

Jorge Martin

“I really enjoyed these few days after a victory, it’s a pity we have a race straight away because I didn’t celebrate a lot but you know I couldn’t, as soon as you go into the next week you already think about Assen. I’m focused on this weekend, I want to finish in a good way before summer so yeah hopefully we can battle for the podium again, be as consistent as we have in the last four races so yeah let’s see.”

Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), meanwhile, is on his own roll of three MotoGP podiums in a row for the first time ever, just like Martin. One may not (yet?) be a win, but it’s a fine run of form as Pramac really gain some momentum.

Jack Miller

“Every time you drive into this joint you always get that feeling I guess. Different times for sure back then but no it’s nice to be back here, I feel pretty good towards the weekend, another new track for us but the bike is working really well a the moment. We have a couple of things to iron out, but we’re getting there. Quite confident, the bike is very nimble and around here that’s what you need, a nice stable bike but something that is easy to change direction at high speed and I feel the KTM has that in it so looking forward to spinning the first laps around here.

“The high-speed corners in Mugello was where I was struggling with in, Arabbiata 2, and again at the weekend it was obvious where my weak point was at the Sachsenring, 9, 10, 11, going down the hill. I tried a lot of different things during the race in terms of my riding style just to try and compensate for what I was having through those corners. Wasn’t able to find what I wanted but we went back to the drawing board and I think we’ve got a direction to go in terms of set up and geometry to help give me more stability in the fast corners without losing too much in the slower corners.”

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For Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the run has picked back up again. And the holeshot went to the Aussie once again at the Sachsenring. A lone orange ranger at a Ducati party after a crash for teammate Brad Binder, Miller kept it on the road for another good chunk of points – and his form at Assen is fine, including that first ever MotoGP win. He, and Binder as he’ll dust himself off ready to race again, can’t be counted out of the fight at the front.

It wasn’t the greatest weekend ever for Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) last time out, but it was a solid one. And the TT Circuit Assen is where he took that maiden MotoGP podium, so we can likely expect him right back in the fight at the front at a very different venue to the Sachsenring.

Marco Bezzecchi

“Overall in Germany I closed in a positive way: I immediately had the fastest lap, but I managed to adjust the pace right before the race. In Assen I hope to be competitive right from the FP. The TT has always been one of my favorite tracks: far to think it’s an easy track, it’s very fast, true, but also extremely technical. Right here last year, I lived one of the most significant days in my career as a rider and this is one of the reasons why I can’t wait to get back on track motivated to do my best. We leave nothing to chance and work hard.”

Teammate Luca Marini too, with the number 10 still taking those top finishes although now looking for another real assault on the top – all the way to the finish line.

Luca Marini

“I’m happy to do another race right away, having so many GPs row is something I like. We arrive in Assen, a track that is one of my favorite and where I have always managed to go fast. This year will be a little bit different: there are many fast riders between the Sprint and the race and I hope to be there with them to be able to close this first part of the season in the best possible way. It will perhaps be a more group race than the Sachsenring and this will mean great fun for everyone.”

Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), meanwhile, took some good points at the Sachsenring after a crash out in Mugello and he’ll want that to prove an uptick. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP Team) was the top Aprilia and back in the top ten despite his ongoing recovery, and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) is also getting back in the groove.

Enea Bastianini

“The last Grand Prix at the Sachsenring turned out much better than I expected, and in the race, I didn’t suffer physically as I did at Mugello. Definitely, in Assen, I will arrive a little more tired after the last two consecutive races, but they were also good training. I’m starting to get to know my bike and recover my strength: we’ll see how it goes this weekend, but I hope I can get even closer to the frontrunners.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP), meanwhile, is also banking those points and top tens, but can he take another step? Finally, for Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) it’s going pretty well. He hasn’t managed to replicate that stunning top four in France yet, but he’s kept scoring and is only one of three riders to do so on every Sunday so far. He also adores Assen.

Augusto Fernandez

“I am excited to go to the TT Assen because it is a track that I like a lot, where I have good memories from, just like the Sachsenring. First of all, we will see how I adapt with the MotoGP bike, and if I can be competitive. If this is the case, we will need to work really well on Friday because it is important to try qualifying for Q2, or at least be very close to the Q2 places. We are riding well during the races, so it’s all about qualifying if we want to have the chance to fight for better positions with the top guys.”

After an impressive pre-season for Aprilia, it’s all gone a bit quiet on the frontrunning by the time we arrive at Assen. But if there’s anywhere Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) would choose to stake his claim back on the podium fight, it could well be Assen. His record at the track is exemplary and it’s where he took his first Aprilia podium too… so could it start here?

Team-mate Aleix Espargaro will also want to press that reset button, and his record at Assen is no slouch either. Cast your mind back to this time last year and enjoy a re-watch of THAT final chicane overtake.

At Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, meanwhile, there are also some good memories from Assen but the Iwata marque need some form.  For Fabio Quartararo the mission will start on Friday again, and getting into that Q2. And finishing ahead of Franco Morbidelli – something he hasn’t done in the last couple of races.

Fabio Quartararo

“The tyre gamble in Sachsenring didn‘t pay off, but now we know. Though points-wise the German GP wasn‘t a very successful race weekend, we did learn from it, and that‘s also worth something. Last year things didn‘t go to plan in Assen. But it‘s still one of my favourite circuits, so I will do my best as always to get a good result.”

Franco Morbidelli

“After the weekend at the Sachsenring, I want to get back to work as soon as possible. We know that we have to improve, and keep going at it is the best way to do so. Our race pace is pretty decent. It‘s the Friday time attack that‘s the main thing we need to fix. So, we‘ll have to work hard and make as much progress as possible before the summer break.”

For Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team), however, it’s probably points. It remains a tough season with not much to show for it yet, although that arm surgery wasn’t too long ago either. Can he make a step at Assen?

Raul Fernandez

“I am really motivated to go to Assen. I think in both of the last races we did a good job. In Mugello we saw the potential we had to go fast and in Sachsenring we had a very consistent pace. I’m very happy about that and look forward to go to Assen. It seems our bike will work well there, so I’m very enthusiastic. We’ll just have to wait and see how the weather will be, because it’s always quite tricky there. But I’m ready for everything and I believe strongly in our bike, that should be working very well. And I think we can do a good job there and as well after the summer break.”

We know Jonas Folger will continue subbing for Pol Espargaro at GASGAS Factory Racing Tech 3, and another reveal is the return of Iker Lecuona to Repsol Honda Team colours after the Spaniard rode in his home round at Jerez and had a pretty solid weekend, this time standing in for Joan Mir. As Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) continues to recover, we also know it’ll be HRC test rider Stefan Bradl in the saddle in the Spaniard’s place.

Iker Lecuona

“First of all I want to wish Joan all the best in his recovery. I am excited to join the team again, it’s a true honour. Assen is a circuit I like, I got my first WorldSBK podium there so hopefully we can have another good weekend like in Jerez. I am still recovering a bit after the crash in Misano, so this will be a good physical test too. Let’s ride!”

All this is also the backdrop to a quiet run of points scoring GP finishes for Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). He’s only failed to score once this season, at COTA, somewhat interestingly where Rins won Honda’s first race for some time earlier in the year.

In the pre-event press conference ahead of the German GP, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) said he was interested to see how the weekend would go after he missed out on competing at some of his other best tracks, Termas de Rio Hondo and the Circuit of the Americas. But the answer wasn’t what he wanted. After five crashes peppered with some heroics in between, the eight-time World Champion called time on his Sachsenring weekend before the Grand Prix race. He therefore remains undefeated at the venue but looking for a lot more at the TT Circuit Assen. He has “only” won twice at the track in MotoGP, but could that work in his favour as the pressure comes off? One of the most successful partnerships in the history of motorcycle cycling is now looking at the north face of their own Eiger – and plenty thought that would never be scaled. It has been. Can they start rebuilding from here?

Marc Marquez

“I rode on the limit last weekend, but we have done a very good job the last three days in Madrid with my medical team and my physio team. The ankle was the biggest problem before coming here as it was swollen a lot, but they did a very good job and now I don’t think it will be a big problem. My thumb is broken, but luckily it is just the end, so it won’t be a problem. The rib, I have a crack in the second rib and this will be a problem because as soon as I breathe or if I push with my arm, I’ll feel it…anyways let’s see, we’ll start with P1 and step by step.

“It was a tough weekend. The thing is if you are pushing and you crash, you accept it, like I did it in QP practice but for example the WUP crash…. already on Saturday I had given up a bit on the weekend and I will just keep going and in Saturday’s race… I didn’t push more than I felt with the bike. Then in warm up I had an unexpected crash, only on the second lap without pushing and yeah, this is the most difficult to understand.”

MotoGP Championship Points

Moto2

Tony Arbolino’s (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) lead in the Moto2 standings is getting smaller. After that crash in France for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the Italian had some breathing space… but he’s not been able to beat the Spaniard since.

Behind that duo, Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) was back on the podium in Germany to make it exactly the same rostrum, but it was quite a different race for second. The Brit was glued to the back of Arbolino late in the race, so that’s one mission accomplished.

Moto2 Championship Points

Moto3

Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) did everything he needed to in Germany to keep that impressive lead going, taking third and another podium on a day where he couldn’t quite push to fight for that win. But looking at the pace of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), the Spaniard will want to hit back at Assen.

Öncü and Sasaki almost created their own Grand Prix class in Germany, staging a tense chess match right to the flag and disappearing in a private duel to do so.  Both are used to running at the front, but not quite that far in front. Öncü is also now a Grand Prix winner after coming so so close, so many times.

Moto3 Championship Points

MotoE

There were plenty more twists in the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship at the Sachsenring, with points leader Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) winning the first race as both Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and Hector Garzo (Liqui Moly Intact GP) crashed out, and then Garzo striking back in Race 2 to take his first ever electric win. As we head into the iconic TT Circuit Assen, then, there’s plenty to talk about.

Torres is now 18 points clear, which is a good cushion as the Championship arrives to a venue he knows well.

MotoE Championship Points

2023 Assen MotoGP Weekend Schedule
Times in AEST

2023 MotoGP Calendar