Francesco Bagnaia, the Italian rider for the Ducati Lenovo Team, dominated the MotoGP free practice session ahead of the 2024 Netherlands Grand Prix, breaking the lap record at the TT Circuit Assen. Bagnaia claimed pole position with a blistering pace of 1min 30.540sec, almost a second faster than his previous time. His closest competitor, Jorge Martin, also broke the lap record set by Bagnaia on Friday. With Bagnaia on 153 points closing in on Martin’s championship lead of 171, both the sprint on Saturday and the race on Sunday are shaping up to be a thrilling duel between the two riders.
Bagnaia expressed his excitement at being in pole position in front of the enthusiastic fans at Assen, a track he considers one of his favorites. The smoothness of some corners at Assen impressed the 27-year-old Ducati rider. Despite his pole position, Bagnaia acknowledges that it won’t be easy to maintain the lead in the upcoming race. Meanwhile, Martin, the current world championship leader, feels confident in fending off Bagnaia’s challenge, as he believes his team has made progress in closing the gap between them.
In third place on the starting grid is Spaniard Maverick Vinales, followed by Alex Marquez in fourth. Aleix Espargaro qualified in fifth place for his last race at Assen, with Fabio Di Giannantonio in sixth. Marc Marquez, currently third in the standings, will start in seventh place. Unfortunately, Marquez crashed in the later stages of qualification while attempting to overtake Espargaro in a challenging corner. Franco Morbidelli and Brad Binder round up the top ten starting positions for the upcoming Dutch MotoGP.
As Bagnaia and Martin prepare to battle it out on the iconic track in Assen, fans can expect an exciting and competitive race weekend. With the Italian rider setting the pace and the championship leader looking to defend his position, the stage is set for an intense showdown between the two top contenders. The Dutch MotoGP promises to deliver thrilling racing action and captivating moments as the riders push themselves to the limits in pursuit of victory. Stay tuned to witness the excitement and drama unfold at the TT Circuit Assen.
