Bezzecchi returns to form at Assen

Marco Bezzecchi is looking dangerous again. The Championship leader wasted no time at the TT Circuit Assen, setting a 1’32.311 to top the opening practice session. It was a beautiful display of pace, leaving his future teammate Francesco Bagnaia sitting 0.098s back in second. With 20 riders covered by less than a second, the field is as tight as it gets, but the Aprilia Racing rider was the one to beat.

It was not a flawless morning for everyone, though. Marc Marquez, the winner of the last two Grands Prix, had a rough moment when he tucked the front into the final chicane. Thankfully, he was perfectly OK and managed to remount his Ducati Lenovo Team machine, eventually securing P10. Elsewhere, the Aprilias were showing incredible strength, with Jorge Martin taking third and all four bikes finding their way into the top six, including Raul Fernandez in sixth.

Rounding out the top five, Fabio Di Giannantonio put his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team bike in fourth, while Brno podium finisher Ai Ogura grabbed fifth for the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team. Further down, Joan Mir climbed to P7, Fermin Aldeguer took eighth, and Maverick Viñales finished ninth. It was a frantic start, with Diogo Moreira also suffering a crash before taking P12, while Jack Miller led the Yamaha effort in P16.