MotoGP 2022 – Round 11
Motul TT Assen
Following the race last weekend in Germany the MotoGP Paddock has travelled west to the historic TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, for a back-to-back race with the Motul TT Assen – the 11th round of the 2022 championship, and the final round before the summer break.
Known as the Cathedral of Speed, Assen is the only circuit to have held a Grand Prix since the beginning of the championship, and as was the case last year the circuit will not only play host to the MotoGP World Championship during the weekend, but also the fourth round of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup.
The circuit was resurfaced in 2020, and despite this leading to some uncertainty last year over how the tyres would hold up due to a lack of pre-race testing, all lap records were broken during the weekend – all-time circuit lap record, race lap record and race duration record.
The TT Assen Circuit has had many changes to its layout through the years, but the current 4,542m (2.822 miles) configuration with its short 487m (0.303 miles) straight and mix of six left-hand and twelve right-hand corners, is still one of the most revered and loved circuits in the world and it has a history of producing exciting and close racing.
It is a traditional track in terms of its layout, in that it still includes high-speed curves and banked corners, whilst incorporating all the safety requirements of a modern circuit. It is this configuration of 18 corners that places greater demands on the rear tyres compared to those on the front.
With the forthcoming race in Finland delayed until 2023, Assen will hold onto its crown as the most northerly track on the calendar this year, and this geographic location has brought its share of wet weather to the event in the past.
Yamaha
After deposing the “no Yamaha win since 2009” stat at the Sachsenring, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) arrives on the front foot and with his eye on another: no one’s won back to back at Assen since Valentino Rossi did it in 2004 and 2005. Since the Quartararo reigned last year in the Netherlands, it’s within reach… and his form only backs that statement up yet further. Three in a row would be quite a way to head into summer break.
Fabio Quartararo
“I‘m so happy with the win at the Sachsenring. I was riding well in Barcelona, but in a way Sachsenring was even better because I did it while not feeling well. I enjoyed a few days of rest and now I‘m feeling better again, so I‘m ready for the race in Assen. We have good memories from last year there with the team. This is one of my favourite circuits, so I think we can do well again.”
Elsewhere at Yamaha, Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP) and Andrea Dovizioso will want more, the latter a former podium finisher at Assen and the former looking for a bounce back before summer break. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, continues looking for a big step forward, the Italian well outside his already conquered postcode of the podium fight so far in 2022.
Franco Morbidelli
“After the weekend at the Sachsenring, I want to get back to work as soon as possible. We know where we have to improve. Our race pace is pretty decent, but we need to upgrade our performance on the new soft tyre. This is not an easy thing to do, because of the limited soft tyre allocation, but we will try to make another step. We clearly have a lot of work ahead of us to catch up, especially since I haven‘t ridden at the Assen track in the last two years: in 2020 because of the pandemic and in 2021 because of my knee injury. So, we‘ll have to work hard. We hope we will have dry track time so we can make progress.”
Darryn Binder
“I’m feeling really good going into Assen. I’ve been making some really decent steps forward, but one point I need to focus on now is the Qualifying. I need to qualify better to help myself in the race. Going into Assen that will be my main goal to qualify better. It’s also a place that I really, really enjoy riding and it seems to be a Yamaha track. I’m looking to go into the summer break with a good result in my pocket.”
Andrea Dovizioso
“Assen was historically not the best track for me, but I think and I hope the Yamaha YZR-M1 will work well there. Coming there from Germany, I expect definitely more at the TT Circuit than I expected in Sachsenring. My goal before the summer break is to finish in a better position than we achieved so far.”
Aprilia
At Aprilia, meanwhile, it can raise a smile that one of their worst races of the season so far, all told, is still in fact what the Noale factory would have been aiming for at the start of just last season. “Worst” describing fourth place for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) still maintains the number 41 in second overall and was another consistent, big-points finish he’ll be looking to build on again.
Aleix Espargaro
“Assen is a mythical circuit, with a spectacular layout. I am a little worried about the weather, which is always an unknown here, for sure we will find lower temperatures than at Sachsenring. Clearly I’d like to find a dry weekend but the important thing will be to arrive at the summer break with a positive ranking and morale situation.”
On the other side of the garage there’s another two-sided coin for Maverick Viñales from Germany too: he suffered a technical issue and had to retire, but he had to retire after having been pinned to the back of his teammate for some time, looking like a podium charge was on the cards. Will there be one at Assen? It’s those final laps of the race, the ones we didn’t get to see at the Sachsenring, where ‘Top Gun’ often shines, and everything seems to be coming together.
Maverick Viñales
“The first objective here at Assen will be to continue on the level shown last week. I am convinced that we can be competitive at every track, even more so on a layout that has always suited my riding style. Also the fact that we are racing straight away is something that helps me. We have seen that starting at the front makes life a lot easier in the race, if we can get at least the second row we could really show our potential“.
Ducati
Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) is on a steady upward curve of results with the next natural number in the progression being 1 aka the win. As satisfying a stat as that would be, his recent run already stands alone as impressive. Now third overall – and top Ducati in the Championship – can he pull another podium out the bag?
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) did just that in Germany to put some tougher races behind him, and ‘Thriller’ did it despite a Long Lap penalty too. Of all those on the grid, Miller’s memories of Assen are probably the sweetest as he took that incredible win in 2016, so what can he do in 2022?
Jack Miller
“I’m excited to be racing in Holland again. I have great memories of this track, as I took my first MotoGP win here. After the Barcelona test, we took big steps forward, which helped me find a good feeling with the Desmosedici GP, allowing me to be competitive in the last race in Germany. I hope to find these sensations again here at Assen. The weather is predicting rain, so the track conditions will be decisive on Sunday. In any case, I’m ready to face the last GP of the first part of the season.”
And can Jorge Martin (Prima Racing) find something more? What will Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) have in the locker after impressive speed in Germany? Can Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) bounce back from a stint of going AWOL?
Luca Marini
“Assen is a completely different track and definitely much more technical than those faced in recent weeks. I’m curious to understand what my feeling will be on Friday, if I can be fast right from the FP. There are many strong riders here, but we can build a good weekend with the whole Team and fight for the positions that matter.”
Then, of course, there’s Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). From bad luck in Barcelona to a slide out of second at the Sachsenring, it’s been a tougher few weeks for the number 63. Assen hasn’t traditionally been the best for Ducati, but Pecco even has the track as a tattoo, having taken his very first win there in Moto3 in 2016. He’s also reigned in Moto2, and knows his way around the Cathedral. The gap to the top is now a big one, but the season is only half way done…
Francesco Bagnaia
“I’m happy to be back on track this weekend at Assen: it’s a special track for me because it was here that I took my first win in the World Championship. I even have it tattooed on my arm! Unfortunately, we struggled a lot last year, but I am convinced that things will be different this year. Even in Germany, we were not among the favourites, but in the end, we were very competitive at the Sachsenring throughout the weekend. That’s why I’m even more disappointed about the crash in the race because up until then, everything had been perfect. I want to make up for it here in Holland and end on a positive note this first part of the season, before the summer break.”
KTM
Lurking a single point above both Bagnaia and Miller in the standings, meanwhile, is the truest Sunday rider of late – in the best sense. No matter the grid position, when the lights go out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) wrings some magic out of his KTM, and he’s now into the top five overall. It’s never two or three positions either, it’s a charge as far as the charge can possibly go, and it’s paying dividends. Can he and teammate Miguel Oliveira – who is gaining back some solid form too – take that extra step forward at Assen?
Remy Gardner finished for the second time in a row and the fourth time of the season in the points last week in Germany after a great weekend, and is looking forward to heading to the Cathedral of Speed on a MotoGP bike, which he expects to be something enjoyable. The Australian finished second last season on a Moto2 bike, while his team-mate Raul Fernandez was the winner. The Spaniard is heading to the final round with a positive feeling after he produced the best race of his young MotoGP career last Sunday in Germany with a P12. Both enjoying the feeling of scoring points in the main class, the rookies are eager to do it again this weekend at the TT Circuit Assen.
Remy Gardner
“I am really looking forward to going racing in Assen. The circuit was already fast on a Moto2 bike, so it will be incredible on a MotoGP machine. I hope that we will be able to finish the first half of the season with a good result before heading to the summer break. We are coming from two good weekends, so let’s see if we can continue. It looks like we might get some rain which can re-distribute the cards, so let’s see what the weather has in store for us. At least, it won’t be as hot as in Germany!”
Raul Fernandez
“We just did a really good race in Sachsenring and it was a result that both my team and myself really needed after all the hard work we have done since the season started. More than the result, getting this feeling after a race was really important for me because it gives me confidence. Going to Assen will be interesting for us, so let’s try to finish the first half of the season on a positive note.”
Suzuki
Another factory looking for more, in their case a real bounce back, is Suzuki. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crashed out in Germany after that stunning charge in Barcelona, and the number 36 will be gunning for glory at Assen. Team-mate Alex Rins, meanwhile, tried to take part put then hit a serious pain barrier before withdrawing due to his wrist. Can he try again at Assen?
Alex Rins
“It was difficult for me to watch Sachsenring from the sidelines, but I had to make a careful and considered decision and do what’s best in the long run. Waiting an extra few days should have allowed my wrist to heal a bit more, and I’m hoping that this time the pain will be more bearable. I’ll seek advice from the doctors and try to take the weekend session-by-session, but for sure I’m very keen to race here in Assen – it’s a truly amazing place!”
Joan Mir
“I can’t dwell on what happened last weekend, and I’m feeling glad that we’ve been able to come straight to Assen and get back to work. As I mentioned at Sachsenring, I’ve been feeling better with my bike and we’ve been able to begin ironing out a few small things that have been troubling us. Last year in Assen I got a podium and it was fantastic, especially with so much support from the fans. This year, more than anything, I want to go to the summer break with a good finish in the bag.”
Livio Suppo – Suzuki Team Manager
“I can’t deny that it has been a tough few weeks for all of us, but the whole team are determined and giving everything to achieve a good result. Sachsenring wasn’t all bad as Joan did find some improvements, but obviously we’re hungry for much more this weekend in Holland. Both riders enjoy this place, and our GSX-RR seems to suit it well too. After this race we’ll have five weeks away from the track, so we want to make the most of the Dutch GP in order to lift our spirits.”
Honda
Finally, Honda. The stat sounds a little brutal: no points for the first time since the French GP in 1982. But all told, that happening at the track where the marque won the previous 11 races probably takes the sting out, as is likely also true of the well-stocked trophy cabinet added to in the intervening decades.
It’s a tough run, however, with Stefan Bradl the sole finisher for Repsol Honda Team, team-mate Pol Espargaro riding through the pain barrier, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) suffering a technical issue and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) sliding out. All four riders have shown much more this season already, so the TT Circuit Assen will certainly bring the factory back into the points as a minimum, and offer some more track time as they fettle the all-new RC213V.
Pol Espargaro
“I’ve had a few days at home doing everything I can to be prepared for the race this weekend, getting a lot of treatment on the ribs. There’s not much more that we could have done, so I am as ready as I can be. Assen is a really different track to Germany obviously, there’s a lot of fast changes of directions and you really need to have a bike that handles well. The objective is to get a good result before the Summer Break, we need to stop the run of bad races we have had.”
Stefan Bradl
“Assen gives us an opportunity to solve the problems we had in Germany. Before the race we were making some really good progress – especially with my riding. The objective for the weekend is to make another step in this direction, gain that last little bit of confidence and feeling when pushing for a super-fast lap. It has been a few years since I raced at Assen but I think we can get up to speed quickly there. I’m eager to have a strong weekend to go into the break with an extra bit of motivation.”
MotoGP Championship Points Standings
Pos | Rider | Nat | Points |
1 | QUARTARARO Fabio | FRA | 172 |
2 | ESPARGARO Aleix | SPA | 138 |
3 | ZARCO Johann | FRA | 111 |
4 | BASTIANINI Enea | ITA | 100 |
5 | BINDER Brad | RSA | 82 |
6 | BAGNAIA Francesco | ITA | 81 |
7 | MILLER Jack | AUS | 81 |
8 | RINS Alex | SPA | 69 |
9 | MIR Joan | SPA | 69 |
10 | OLIVEIRA Miguel | POR | 64 |
11 | MARTIN Jorge | SPA | 61 |
12 | MARQUEZ Marc | SPA | 60 |
13 | MARINI Luca | ITA | 52 |
14 | VIÑALES Maverick | SPA | 46 |
15 | ESPARGARO Pol | SPA | 40 |
16 | NAKAGAMI Takaaki | JPN | 38 |
17 | BEZZECCHI Marco | ITA | 35 |
18 | MARQUEZ Alex | SPA | 26 |
19 | MORBIDELLI Franco | ITA | 25 |
20 | DI GIANNANTONIO Fabio | ITA | 16 |
21 | BINDER Darryn | RSA | 10 |
22 | DOVIZIOSO Andrea | ITA | 10 |
23 | GARDNER Remy | AUS | 9 |
24 | FERNANDEZ Raul | SPA | 5 |
Motul TT Assen Schedule
Times AEST
Friday
Time | Class | Event |
1625 | MotoE | FP1 |
1700 | Moto3 | FP1 |
1755 | MotoGP | FP1 |
1855 | Moto2 | FP1 |
2035 | MotoE | FP2 |
2115 | Moto3 | FP2 |
2210 | MotoGP | FP2 |
2310 | Moto2 | FP2 |
0050 (Sat) | MotoE | Q1 |
0010 (Sat) | MotoE | Q2 |
Saturday
Time | Class | Event |
1700 | Moto3 | FP3 |
1755 | MotoGP | FP3 |
1855 | Moto2 | FP3 |
2035 | Moto3 | Q1 |
2100 | Moto3 | Q2 |
2130 | MotoGP | FP4 |
2210 | MotoGP | Q1 |
2235 | MotoGP | Q2 |
2310 | Moto2 | Q1 |
2336 | Moto2 | Q2 |
0015 (Sun) | MotoE | Race 1 |
Sunday
Time | Class | Event |
1700 | Moto3 | WUP |
1720 | Moto2 | WUP |
1740 | MotoGP | WUP |
1900 | Moto3 | Race |
2020 | Moto2 | Race |
2200 | MotoGP | Race |
2330 | MotoE | Race 2 |
2022 MotoGP Calendar
Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
26 June | Netherlands | TT Circuit Assen |
07 August | Great Britain | Silverstone Circuit |
21 August | Austria | Red Bull Ring-Spielberg |
04 September | San Marino | Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli |
18 September | Aragón | MotorLand Aragón |
25 September | Japan | Twin Ring Motegi |
02 October | Thailand | Chang International Circuit |
16 October | Australia | Phillip Island |
23 October | Malaysia | Sepang International Circuit |
06 November | Comunitat Valenciana | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |