MOTO GP

Pecco Bagnaia holds off Jorge Martín to achieve a historic victory in Assen

The Italian Pecco Bagnaia has taken victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, becoming the first rider to achieve victory in both the sprint and the race in two consecutive events and the first in the MotoGP era to win three years followed in Assen, in addition to reaching 23 victories with Ducati to equal Casey Stoner as the most successful rider with the brand.

He did it with a perfect race from start to finish to hold off the Spanish Jorge Martín - who retains the lead with a 10-point advantage - with the Italian Enea Bastianini climbing back to the podium and the Spanish Marc Márquez in fourth position.

The traffic light went out and Pecco Bagnaia made a perfect start ahead of Maverick Viñales, with Jorge Marín - fifth on the grid after being penalized with three positions - rising to third position ahead of Álex Márquez and Marc Márquez, who shortly after overtook his brother. Behind Álex Rins suffered a violent high side.

Bagnaia began to push hard and Martín soon put the bike into Viñales to get second, with Marc Márquez throwing the bike to Viñales to get third and Pedro Acosta moving up to fifth position by passing Álex Márquez, who shortly after gave up another position more in favor of Fabio Di Giannantonio. Marco Bezzecchi fell from behind.

Bagnaia and Martín left Marc Márquez, who already on the fifth lap received a warning for exceeding the track limits and was unable to take off from Viñales, after whom Di Giannantonio overtook Acosta. The one from the VR46 was flying and reached the one from Aprilia, which he unceremoniously surpassed moments later. Joan Mir fell behind.

Perhaps due to a matter of pressure, Márquez allowed himself to be overtaken by Di Giannantonio, with Viñales and Acosta sticking to them and Enea Bastianini trying to get there after breaking away from Brad Binder and Álex Márquez. The Beast managed to reach the wheel of the Murcian driver and went on to close a quintet destined to play for the last step of the podium.

Acosta began to suffer more and more and, after a couple of scares, he lost position with Bastianini, who in a flash was back on Viñales' wheel. Right after Diggia made a mistake, but Márquez raised to avoid passing him and that made Viñales pass them both, with Marc there getting in front of Di Giannantonio who was also overtaken by Bastianini.

Bastianini put the bike on Márquez, who went off the track and was overtaken by Di Giannantonio. He returned it immediately and Acosta took advantage of it to overtake the VR46, who responded shortly after. These bets had allowed Viñales and Bastianini to escape, who four minutes from the end passed his future teammate and took him off the podium.

Pecco Bagnaia did not show the slightest sign of weakness and completed his perfect weekend, becoming the first rider of the MotoGP era to win three times in a row at Assen and the first rider to win Sprint and race in two consecutive grands prix. . Several seconds behind, and despite a warning due to track limits, Jorge Martín entered second.

Enea Bastianini gained a few meters to be third and a mistake by Maverick Viñales in the final turn allowed Marc Márquez to be fourth. The Aprilia rider managed to enter fifth after passing Fabio Di Giannantonio in the final chicane, but he was punished with a position for caressing the track limits when crashing in the chicane.

After the fall of Pedro Acosta on the last lap, Brad Binder rose to seventh position ahead of Álex Márquez, Raúl Fernández and Franco Morbidelli. Augusto Fernández also entered points.

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