Why Marquez is ‘proud’ of his worst-ever Assen MotoGP result

Despite posting his worst-ever Dutch TT result as a MotoGP rider, Marc Marquez was left “impressed” and “proud” of his performance in the 2021 edition of the Assen event.

Assen has never been one of Marquez’s trademark circuits – not a track like the Sachsenring or Austin where he’s notoriously unbeatable – but the six-time MotoGP champion has always brought home a good haul of points from the Netherlands. His seventh-place finish on Sunday snapped a streak of consecutive podiums at Assen that dated back to 125cc in 2009.

But Marquez’s continued recovery from his 2020 season-destroying right arm fracture, coupled with a massive highside in Friday practice that left him with major pain in his right foot, meant the shock was lessened when he qualified a career-worst 20th at the circuit on Saturday after another crash.

Taking seventh after a late battle with Francesco Bagnaia (who finished ahead) and Aleix Espargaro (who finished behind) meant the podium streak had ended, but also marked Marquez’s biggest in-race progression in his MotoGP career – which up to now has provided precious few opportunities to gain 13 places in a race.

It was also his fastest-ever race at Assen, with an average speed 173.9km/h that improved on his previous best by over 1km/h.

“I was impressed by my performance during the race, and I’m proud, because it’s the first race on a right-corner circuit that I finished more or less in a good way,” said Marquez, who had actually moved up to 11th as early as the opening lap of the race.

“Of course I had arm pump, of course I was struggling more, but also this track is really demanding for physical condition, and I was able to [finish seventh].”

Assen, with its official count of 12 right-hand corners to six left-handers, came in sharp contrast to the left-hander-dominated Sachsenring the week prior, when Marquez claimed the first win of his comeback.

The right-side limitations – with the arm and previously-dislocated but also the hit to the right foot from Friday’s crash – meant the Dutch TT left Marquez “destroyed”.

“The bike today had the performance to finish in the podium,” he acknowledged. “This is something also that makes me happy.”

Marquez at Assen in MotoGP

* 12-lap time instead of 26, race red-flagged and restarted

Having blamed his Friday shunt on the shortcomings of the electronic set-up, Marquez demanded that Honda introduce an urgent fix – but then spent the rest of the weekend praising his employer for a swift response.

And he believes the action Honda took assisted him in his Dutch TT charge.

“The racing team here on the racetrack, they had like a phone call, conference with Japan, and with the electronics [specialists] in Japan, also the electronics [specialists] from the test team, and they found a few parameters that were maybe not in the correct way.

“And the fact that here we had a new asphalt, you know, the grip is higher and maybe sometimes the TC [traction control] is too far. And it’s what happened on Friday.

“They changed a few parameters that worked in a better way and I felt much more confidence.

“It’s true that especially with the used tyre I started to ride in a very good way.

“And during the race I felt like in the first part I was OK, riding well but not comfortable, but then in the second part of the race I did an improvement on the exit of the corners and it was because of that change, on the electronic side.”