Title: Bagnaia Sets the Pace in MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix Practice
Francesco Bagnaia carried his impressive performance from Mugello into the opening practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix in MotoGP. Bagnaia clocked a time of 1:32.401s, narrowly beating Marc Marquez and Raul Fernandez, with just a tenth of a second separating the top three riders on Assen’s challenging circuit.
Marquez initially dominated the session, quickly adapting to the high-speed Assen track on his Gresini Ducati. He became the first rider to break the 1:32s barrier, but it was Bagnaia who ultimately claimed the top spot, leaving Marquez in second.
Raul Fernandez showcased renewed confidence as he finished as the leading Aprilia rider on his satellite bike, securing the third position. The 2021 champion, Fabio Quartararo, followed closely behind in fourth place.
Maverick Vinales, who recently joined Tech3, completed the session in fifth place, closely trailed by his teammate Aleix Espargaro. Despite a challenging start, Espargaro managed to recover and secure sixth place.
At the end of the session, Di Giannantonio initially recorded the fastest lap time, but due to exceeding track limits, he was demoted to seventh place. Alex Marquez also delivered a strong performance for Gresini, placing both riders within the top eight. KTM rider Brad Binder finished in ninth place.
Aprilia’s new lineup for 2025, comprised of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, finished in tenth and eleventh place respectively, despite being half a second behind the leading trio. Enea Bastainini claimed twelfth place, followed by Miguel Oliveira of Trackhouse.
In a surprising turn of events, rookie sensation Pedro Acosta secured the fourteenth position in the final classification, just two-tenths behind Oliveira. Pramac’s Franco Morbidelli struggled once again, finishing one second behind Bagnaia in thirteenth place. Alex Rins also faced difficulties in maintaining a consistent pace on his Yamaha.
Jack Miller’s struggles with KTM continued, as he finished a disappointing seventeenth. Taakaki Nakagami of LCR Honda emerged as the leading Honda rider in eighteenth place. Luca Marini secured the nineteenth spot on his Repsol Honda bike, while GasGas rider Augusto Fernandez finished in twentieth place. Honda duo Johann Zarco and Joan Mir closed out the session at the back.
Lorenzo Savadori, the test rider for Aprilia, concluded the proceedings with a last-placed finish.