Bagnaia Dominates Assen Practice Amidst Crashes and Controversies: 2024 Dutch MotoGP Highlights

Assen's 2024 Dutch MotoGP Friday Practice Outcomes

The results of Friday's practice sessions for the Dutch MotoGP, staged in Assen as the seventh round in the 2024 global championship, out of a total of 21 rounds.

2024 Netherlands MotoGP, Assen – Second Practice Session Results

* Newcom

Francesco Bagnaia dominated both Friday practice sessions at the 2024 Dutch MotoGP, held in Assen, achieving a flawless performance.

The defending champion crossed the finish line a mere 0.065 seconds before Maverick Vinales, while Alex Marquez claimed a last-minute third place during the afternoon session.

However, newcomer sensation Pedro Acosta didn't manage to break into the top ten and is required to participate in Saturday's Qualifying 1 session.

Following a severe crash at the last chicane, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro was carried away on a stretcher at the end of the session.

Leading the pack in FP1, defending champion Bagnaia continued his dominance into the afternoon, making several enhancements to maintain his leading position.

Marc Marquez, who was trailing behind Bagnaia earlier today, opted for soft tyres early on for a quick lap just past the halfway mark but was unable to surpass his soon-to-be teammate.

In a surprising turn of events, with just over ten minutes remaining, Aprilia's Vinales managed to overtake Bagnaia, establishing a lead of 0.340 seconds.

However, Bagnaia swiftly retaliated, whereas Marc Marquez, who was looking for a slipstream, lost control at the front during the high-speed second-to-last turn and veered off course.

A group of competitors gathered, anticipating Bagnaia's last attempt, but he chose to head back to the pits instead of pushing for a better time.

Title contender Jorge Martin appeared visibly frustrated with the performance of his Pramac Ducati before experiencing a significant fright after coming into contact with Jack Miller.

Martin had reduced his speed in front of the Australian, who had likewise decreased his pace and was glancing back when they encountered each other. Luckily, both managed to remain mounted, though Miller's motorcycle incurred some aerodynamic impairment.

In the final moments, Joan Mir of Repsol Honda, Enea Bastianini from Ducati, and Aleix Espargaro representing Aprilia, all experienced falls.

Espargaro was violently thrown off his uncontrollable RS-GP during the last chicane and had to be escorted off the track by marshals, clearly in pain.

2024 Dutch Motorcycle Grand Prix at Assen – First Practice Session Results

* Beginner

The Ducati factory squad revealed their 2025 rider roster featuring Francesco Bagnaia and newcomer Marc Marquez, who led the pack in the first practice session of the Dutch MotoGP at Assen.

Yet, at the conclusion of the session, it was VR46's Fabio di Giannantonio who topped the charts, but his fastest lap was later invalidated due to surpassing the track boundaries, resulting in his drop to seventh place.

This also elevated Raul Fernandez to an unexpected third place for Trackhouse on the 2023 Aprilia, having momentarily led in P1, while Fabio Quartararo also turned heads by securing fourth place for Yamaha.

On Thursday, colleague Alex Rins disclosed that each Yamaha rider received a new engine from the latest Valencia trials. This morning, Rins found himself in 16th place.

Team members from Factory Aprilia, Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro, secured the fifth and sixth positions respectively.

Espargaro encountered a fall while attempting to exit the pits at the beginning of the 45-minute session, then quickly veered off the track due to a mechanical problem, leading him to sit out the initial phases.

In the final moments, Alex Marquez secured a top three spot for Gresini, only to be demoted to eighth place, narrowly missing Bagnaia by a margin of 0.366 seconds.

Brad Binder led the KTM pack, securing the ninth spot, just in front of Pramac Ducati's top contender Jorge Martin, who has recently been announced as joining Aprilia in 2025.

Martin heads into the weekend with a narrowed lead of 18 points over Bagnaia.

In the 2023 Assen Sprint, Marco Bezzecchi, who is both the winner and the lap record holder, veered off the track at the second-to-last turn at a high velocity but managed to re-enter the race safely. The racer, who is currently with VR46 and soon to join the official Aprilia team, ended

Newcomer Pedro Acosta veered off into the turn one escape area multiple times before finishing in 14th place.

Takaaki Nakagami finished as the top Honda rider, securing the 18th position.

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