ASSEN:
After Marc Marquez’s emotional 11th straight victory at the Sachsenring, the Repsol Honda Team are refocused for a new, and different, challenge at The Cathedral.
Held each June, the TT Assen is an iconic Grand Prix – Assen was the only circuit on the calendar to have held a round of the Motorcycle World Championship every year since its creation in 1949 until 2019. The track has undergone a number of changes throughout its life and its current incarnation sits at 4.5 kilometers long with six left corners and 12 rights. After a baking-hot weekend in Germany, the Dutch round is looking decidedly wetter as it makes its return to the calendar.
Marc Marquez arrives on a high after returning to the top step of the podium for the first time since the 2019 Valencia Grand Prix, but the eight-time World Champion is under no illusions that the weekend in Assen will present a new battle for himself and the Honda RC213V. Victory has been achieved by Marquez twice in the premier class at Assen, first in 2014 when he won the opening 10 rounds, and again in 2018. To date, each visit has resulted in a podium finish with a single third place his worst premier class result. Marquez currently sits tenth in the World Championship with 41 points.
On the other side of the Repsol Honda Team garage, Pol Espargaro is prepared for another weekend of work with his team. Unsatisfied with his final result in Germany after a positive weekend, Espargaro is eager to show his speed once again and put together a strong weekend. Saturday remains a key focus, a higher grid position one of the keys to unlocking Sunday.
Marc Marquez said: “We have enjoyed our moment after the Sachsenring, with the team, with my family and with those who helped me. But now we focus again and get ready for Assen, in the past we have had good results there but of course our situation is different now. The weather is looking very cold and wet, especially after what we’ve seen in Germany. So we will keep working to improve our situation and see what’s possible.”
Pol Espargaro said: “It’s great to return to Assen after one year away, it’s a historic track and it’s always great to ride these tracks. Our weekend in Germany was not perfect but we arrive with a clear mind and ready to go again. For sure it looks like the weather will complicate things a bit, but no matter what we keep working to achieve our best. The objective is to have a weekend without problems to put all the pieces together.”
