Both races in Mugello and Barcelona saw Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) come tantalisingly close to victory, his two second places only motivating him further. The Honda continues to improve and Marquez is confident for Assen and the following rounds, held on tracks that have traditionally suited his style. With a ten-point lead in the MotoGP™ World Championship, carrying his momentum forward is Marquez’s main aim for the weekend. Assen has produced some dramatic races in the past and few can forget the memorable end to 2015’s race at the historic circuit where Marquez and Rossi battled it out till the final turn. The pair showed in Barcelona that they’re still capable, and willing to, battle it out till the end. Will they again battle it out in Assen or can Marquez return to the top step for the first time since Austin?
After the race in Barcelona the MotoGP™ class remained for a day of testing on Monday where Marquez tried a new frame and exhaust. Unfortunately neither offered a significant performance boost but marginal gains were made to the overall performance of the RC213V. Work to define a setting in Assen could easily be thrown out the window on race day, the Dutch track has a nasty habit of producing unpredictable weather and the current forecasts are a bit colder and wetter than the Catalan GP.
Between the races Marquez headed to Austria for some filming at the Red Bull Ring where the MotoGP™ World Championship will race at later in 2016. The Spaniard was obviously unable to use his Grand Prix bike, but had a chance to again sample the RC213V-S, Honda's road going MotoGP™ machine
Marc Marquez: “We’ve had two weekends off after Catalunya, and it has been good to be able to disconnect a bit, spending a little time with my friends and enjoying the amazing experience of doing some laps on the RC213V-S at the Red Bull Ring last Tuesday. Anyway, I’m happy that the time to go racing at Assen has arrived, as it’s a track I really enjoy and, importantly, the first in a series of circuits that suit my riding style quite well! Step by step, we’re making some small improvements to the bike, so in Assen we’ll keep working hard from the first session to find a good setup and try and fight for the podium again. The weather is particularly unpredictable there, so we’ll keep an eye on that also and try to be fast from the beginning of the weekend.”