Marc Marquez has once again downplayed his chances ahead of the Dutch TT at Assen. After his surprise victory in Brno – where he made similar comments before the Grand Prix weekend – the Spaniard expects another difficult weekend at the Dutch circuit, while Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia believes the Italian manufacturer can once again challenge for victory. At the same time, Marquez’s assessment of Assen carries a potentially ominous message for his championship rivals.
Last week in Brno, Marquez said that something must have gone wrong for the competition if he were to win. A few days later, the Ducati rider still stood on the top step of the podium. Bagnaia then quipped that he would never play poker with Marquez, because the Spaniard consistently rates his own chances lower than they turn out to be.
Marquez tempers expectations for the Dutch TT in Assen
Ahead of the MotoGP weekend in Assen, Marquez initially seems to want to give a similar answer as in Brno. When asked whether a win in Assen would be just as unexpected as in the Czech Republic, however, he interrupts himself halfway through his answer. “If I win here on Sunday, that means…” Marquez begins in front of, among others, GPblog, before seeming to swallow his words. “I mean, it’s a circuit that normally always, even last year, I was not the fastest, but I was able to win.”
Marquez points out that Assen has never been one of his strongest circuits. Even in years when he was fully fit, he says he regularly struggled on the Drenthe asphalt. “But it’s a circuit that normally, when I was full fit, I struggled. So this year, I expect that I will suffer a bit more. But let’s see, day by day, I mean, Brno shows to me that I need to ride day by day and try to understand no limits, but no targets.” he explains.
Ominous message for the competition
What the nine-time world champion says next should give the competition chills: “It’s one of the last circuits that I will struggle, I believe. And yes, I hope that we will pass the weekend in a good way.” Traditionally, the TT Circuit Assen indeed isn’t Marquez’s most successful track, despite the fact he has won there multiple times. In two weeks, however, the German GP is on the schedule.
That race is held at the Sachsenring, where he has won nine times in MotoGP. Virtually every Marquez appearance there almost automatically meant a dominant victory, earning him the nickname ‘King of the Ring’. After this race, the class heads into the summer break, during which the Spaniard can further work on his recovery.
According to Marquez, the reason Assen suits him less has everything to do with the circuit’s characteristics. “The flowing corners and the high corner speed… all my weak points are in this circuit. In addition, I still struggle this year with changes of direction due to loss of muscle strength. That makes it even tougher. But maybe it will actually help to ride a bit more calmly,” he adds.
Marquez didn’t see his comeback in the title fight coming
After his victory in Brno, Marquez’s deficit to Marco Bezzecchi has shrunk so much that the Spaniard is fully back in the title fight. The championship leader was unable to score points in Brno due to his suspension. Because of crashes in the sprint race a day earlier and in the Hungarian Grand Prix, which Marquez also won, the Ducati rider reduced his lead in just two race weekends from 102 to 40 points.
For Marquez, it came as a surprise that he suddenly finds himself fully in the fight again. “I said it in Brno and I’ll say it again now: I don’t know how and I don’t know why, but suddenly I’m only forty points behind the leader in the championship. It feels like a gift that came completely out of nowhere.”
For now, however, the Spaniard doesn’t want to look too far ahead: “I’m keeping the same mindset as in recent weeks. In the second half of the season we’ll have plenty of time to think about the championship. I was completely out, and now I’m back. Let’s first see how this weekend goes. After that, we can decide if it’s time to really go on the attack.”
Pedro Acosta, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia – Photo: GPblog
Bagnaia sees opportunities in Assen
While Marquez remains cautious about his chances, Bagnaia looks forward to the race weekend in Assen with confidence. The Italian has won races at the TT Circuit in all three Grand Prix classes and sees opportunities again this year. “This is a very good circuit for me. Last year I was strong all weekend as well, I only lost the sprint race. I want to perform well this weekend,” he says.
According to Bagnaia, the work Ducati did last weekend in Brno can also come in handy in Assen, although he expects the extreme heat to affect the bike’s setup. “We have to take the conditions into account, because it will be very hot and that can influence the direction we need to take with the setup. Still, I’m confident. I love this track, I’m happy with how the bike feels this year, and if we can take another step compared to Brno, I think we can fight for the win,” said the two-time MotoGP champion.