Francesco Bagnaia has slashed Jorge Martin’s lead in the MotoGP world championship to just 10 points, Ducati’s reigning world champion dominating Sunday’s Dutch TT from start to finish to win his third Grand Prix in succession.
The Italian, winner in the 14-lap sprint race on Saturday, disappeared at the front from pole position for Sunday’s 26-lap Grand Prix, Bagnaia beating Martin across the line by 3.676 seconds after leading by at least one second for the final 13 laps.
Bagnaia, the victor in Catalunya and Italy coming into the Dutch round, became the first rider to win three successive races at Assen since Australian legend Mick Doohan (1996-98), and took his fifth win in eight rounds this season.
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“I enjoyed very much everything, all the weekend was perfect,” Bagnaia said after leading all three practice sessions, taking pole position and winning the sprint, and repeating the dose in the Grand Prix.
“We were very precise and very fast and the weather was fantastic, so we had the possibility to put our pace down. Everything went perfectly.”
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Martin, who took a gamble by being the only rider in the top 16 on the grid to use the medium-compound front tyre in an attempt to curtail Bagnaia’s dominance, was never troubled for second place after starting from fifth following a three-place grid penalty for impeding Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez in qualifying.
The Spaniard has led the world championship standings since the Portuguese Grand Prix in March, but goes into next weekend’s round in Germany with his narrowest advantage in the standings since round four in Spain.
Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini stormed through from 10th on the grid to round out the podium, the Italian prevailing at the front of a fierce fight that included Ducati pair Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales.
Vinales crossed the line in fifth place, but was demoted one position after the chequered flag for exceeding track limits on the final lap, Di Giannantonio promoted to fifth.
Australia’s Jack Miller took his first Grand Prix points since round three in Texas with 11th place, which came after the KTM rider qualified 13th.
The 29-year-old spent the majority of the race in 12th place after advancing to 10th after a superb start, and gained a position when GasGas rookie Pedro Acosta, who is replacing Miller at KTM’s factory team for 2025, crashed out from seventh on the final lap.
Source Agencies
