Dutch MotoGP Race Results | Bagnaia eases to Assen win, Quartararo crashes

Pecco Bagnaia has made his first significant in-roads into Fabio Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP World Championship lead after scoring a commanding third win of the year in the Dutch MotoGP at Assen, while the series leader tumbled out in a rare accident.

Following a run of two wins and four DNFs from the last six races, Bagnaia received a much needed morale boosting result ahead of the summer break with a comfortable victory in sketchy conditions at Assen.

However, it was Quartararo tangle with closest championship rival Aleix Espargaro that dominated the headlines, the Frenchman failing to score for the first time this season after crashing heavily a second time shortly after rejoining the race.

Despite losing time in the collision, Espargaro nonetheless remained upright before gritting his teeth with a superb fight back through the order to finish fourth, closing things up at the top of the table.

On a day of contrasting fortunes for the two pre-season title favourites, Bagnaia was never headed throughout after getting the hole-shot from pole position before keeping his cool as spots of rain threatened to derail his efforts.

Espargaro and Quartararo followed behind him initially as they engaged in a feisty battle early on, only for the latter’s attempt to overtake at the hairpin pushing him into a low-side and making contact with the Aprilia rider. 

Though able to remount at the back of the field, Quartararo eventually pitted only to return back to the circuit and suffer a high-side that put him out of the race entirely. Despite the ferocity of the impact he was able to walk away.

With Espargaro forced down to 12th position, Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin took up the challenge to Bagnaia in a Ducati 1-2-3, an order they maintained until Lap 16 when the arrival of light rain appeared to spook the Pramac rider enough to allow Brad Binder, Maverick Vinales and Jack Miller through.

However, they couldn’t mount a challenge to the imperious Bagnaia out front as he powered home to a clear third win of the season, followed by Bezzecchi, whose starring performance saw him collect both his and VR46 Racing’s maiden podium in MotoGP in second place.

Maverick Vinales prevailed in a tense late tussle with Jack Miller to secure his first podium in Aprilia colours, with the team’s joy compounded by Espargaro’s charge that took him all the way to fourth, including a double pass into the final corner at the final time of asking. 

A valuable result in the context of Quartararo’s issues, the gap between the two riders is now just 23 points with now six weeks to go before the next round at Silverstone in August.

Binder held onto fifth from Miller, with Martin fading to seventh by the flag ahead of top Suzuki rider Joan Mir, KTM’s Miguel Oliveira and Alex Rins.

Enea Bastianini, meanwhile, endured a tough race on a tough weekend as his hopes of both challenging for this year’s title and securing the vacant works Ducati ride for 2023 were hit with a disappointing run to 11th.

Takaaki Nakagami followed him in 12th after losing time with a long lap penalty for exceeding track limits, while Johann Zarco, Fabio di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez completed the points’ paying positions.

2022 Dutch MotoGP | Assen | RACE Results