Dutch MotoGP, Assen – Sprint Race Results

*Rookie

Marco Bezzecchi wins the 2023 Dutch MotoGP Sprint race ahead of Francesco Bagnaia and – after a Last-Lap penalty for Brad Binder – Fabio Quartararo.

Fastest in every session, Bezzecchi lost out to good friend Francesco Bagnaia at turn one, then Binder, to finish the opening lap in third.

But the VR46 Ducati rider was soon on the move, swiftly retaking the KTM rider, before stalking Bagnaia’s red GP23 for several laps.

Bezzecchi then squeezed under the reigning champion through the opening sector on lap 4 of 13. Bagnaia tried to resist but Bezzecchi secured the lead a few corners later and edged away.

Bagnaia briefly closed in again, but the black-and-yellow GP22 responded to celebrate his first-ever Sprint win – adding to his two Sunday victories – by 1.3s.

Binder faced a late showdown with Yamaha’s Quartararo, who started from his best grid position of the season in fourth, and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro for the final podium place.

The South African held firm – only to be stripped of third by a Long Lap penalty on the final lap, for exceeding track limits. A 3-second sanction was added to his race time, putting a sore Quartararo onto the rostrum and Espargaro into fourth.

KTM is thought to be considering an appeal.

Bezzecchi’s team-mate Luca Marini, starting from the front row, also received a post-race penalty (of 0.5s) for a shortcut, dropping him from eighth to tenth.

The top eleven riders all used hard front and soft rear tyres, with Johann Zarco best of the rest on the medium front.

The injured Marc Marquez, starting just 17th after riding into the back of Enea Bastianini while looking the wrong way in Qualifying, was the only rider to pick the soft front tyre.

The Repsol Honda rider finished, where he had started, in 17th.

• 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.