Dutch MotoGP, Assen – Full Qualifying Results

* Rookie

Fastest Friday time:
Marco Bezzecchi ITA Ducati 1m 32.063s (P2)

Official Assen MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 31.504s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia 1m 32.500s (2022)

Marco Bezzecchi continues his 2023 Assen dominance by taking pole position with a new lap record during qualifying for the 2023 Dutch MotoGP.

The VR46 rider, who took his first MotoGP podium at the circuit one year ago, edged out Ducati’s reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia by 0.061s with team-mate Luca Marini holding on to the front row despite a late fall.

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo enjoyed his best qualifying of the season in fourth and will be joined on the second row by KTM’s Brad Binder and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

Double Sachsenring winner Jorge Martin slid off at Turn 5 on his first flying lap, forcing the Spaniard to run back to the Pramac Ducati pits. He eventually salvaged tenth.

Jack Miller didn’t improve on his opening run and was left twelfth and last in Qualifying 2.

Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira graduated through Qualifying 1, where Marc Marquez’s attempt to hitch a tow behind Enea Bastianini backfired disastrously.

After the Italian backed off and ran wide, Marquez hit the rear of the Ducati rider and fell while they were both looking behind at oncoming riders.

Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira lead Qualifying 1 for the Dutch MotoGP and progress to the Qualifying 2 pole position shootout, where they will now face the ten fastest riders from Friday.

But the big talking point was once again Marc Marquez, who tried to hitch a tow behind Enea Bastianini on his final run – but this time paid the price.

Marquez hit the back of the Italian and fell after both riders had slowed down, run wide and began looking behind…

A bizarre incident!

Both riders looking to file back onto the racing line and @marcmarquez93 rides up the back of @Bestia23! #DutchGP bS8e5v2EGR

— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) June 24, 2023

*Rookie

• Assen: Latest Moto2 Results
• Assen: Latest Moto3 Results

After withdrawing from last Sunday’s German MotoGP race, following a fifth fall of the weekend, causing thumb and rib fractures and a hard knock to the ankle in warm-up, Marc Marquez is back on track at Assen.

Team-mate Joan Mir remains sidelined by hand injuries from Mugello and is replaced by Honda World Superbike rider Iker Lecuona, who spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons in MotoGP with Tech3 KTM. Lecuona previously joined Repsol Honda at Jerez this year, in place of Marquez.

LCR’s Alex Rins is absent after fracturing his leg at Mugello, and replaced by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl. KTM test rider Jonas Folger continues in place of Pol Espargaro at GASGAS Tech3.

Monster Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo sprained his left ankle and fractured a toe in a jogging accident while training in Amsterdam this week. Aleix Espargaro continues to ride with right heel and rib fractures from his bicycle at Mugello earlier this month.

Assen is the final event before the MotoGP summer break, albeit with 12 of the 20 rounds still to go.