Marc Márquez triumphs at the Dutch GP while Álex suffers a left hand injury in a heavy crash.

As the summer holidays approach and the midpoint of the championship arrives, Marc Márquez seems to have everything under control to lift the title at the end of the year. The eight-time world champion, who secured his sixth victory of the year at the Dutch GP in another masterclass of race timing, completed another perfect weekend at a track where he was not entirely confident and emerges from the event with a 68-point lead over his brother Álex. The crash and injury of the second-place driver hindered the celebration of the weekend’s major victor, who was deeply affected by the setback faced by his title rival.

“I’m very happy with the team’s work because it has been an incredible weekend in an unexpected place, but I feel very sorry for Álex,” explained the Spanish Ducati rider. “It always hurts when a rider gets injured, and even more so if it’s your brother. He was having an excellent year and was my main rival for the title, so I wish him all the best and a quick recovery,” added number 93 from the closed park.

It was on the sixth lap when Álex Márquez, who was battling in the leading group with Pedro Acosta (KTM), crashed at high speed after a scuffle between the two, who were running in fourth and fifth places and had previously had their issues. There were several touches between the two, and as he leaned into a slight right curve, the Gresini Ducati rider lost control of the bike and violently hit the asphalt. The impact caused a fracture in the neck of the second metacarpal of his left hand, and the young rider from Cervera is scheduled to undergo surgery that same Sunday night in Madrid to expedite and start his recovery as soon as possible.

This blow for Álex could be the final blow to his World Championship hopes. With almost two weekends separating him from his closest pursuer, his brother Marc can now showcase his management skills and apply all the lessons he has learned throughout his extensive career. In Assen, a circuit where he suffered two significant crashes on Friday, he knew how to time his efforts in qualifying and settled for fourth on the grid to avoid unnecessary physical risks. Despite being affected, he needed that position to take the lead on Saturday in the ‘sprint’ during the first lap and easily manage the challenges from the second-place driver in the championship. On Sunday, it took him a bit longer to take the lead, but when he did on the fifth lap with a decisive move on teammate Pecco Bagnaia at the chicane leading to the finish line, there was no way to overtake him.

Marco Bezzecchi, strong once again with Aprilia, was the one who tried the hardest throughout most of the race. The Italian, who started in fifth, was the best of the rest and climbed to second, overtaking his colleague from the Rossi academy without hesitation. “I wanted to attack, but Marc had an extra gear,” he commented. Although he tightened the screws on number 93, Marc remained unshakeable at the front. On a day filled with exchanges of messages between Jorge Martín’s representative, the Noale factory, and Carmelo Ezpeleta, the head of the championship, the brand was able to lift its head again and boast that its bike is competitive enough to make the world champion think twice in his off-track negotiations with the team.

Bagnaia, third at the finish, leaves Assen over four weekends behind his garage mate (126 points) despite finding positive aspects throughout the weekend. After starting better than anyone and leading for five laps, he dropped to fourth after being surpassed by an excellent Acosta, who ultimately just missed out on the podium. He was able to hold on in the middle part of the race to catch up, overtake the Spaniard, and reach the podium after closing in on the two ahead. For the three-time champion, it was a step forward, though he clearly expects much more both personally and collectively. “The feeling is bittersweet, but the pace has been good, and I’ve been able to close in on the front,” confessed the Italian from Ducati.

In a race with several accidents, Fermín Aldeguer (Ducati Gresini) and Joan Mir (Honda) had a massive scare when the former crashed and the latter almost ran him over. Fortunately, no major damages were reported.