Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez exceeded his own expectations as he finished an impressive fifth at the Dutch Grand Prix after more injury concerns.
Assen marked the Gresini rider’s first full race weekend since fracturing his C7 vertebrae and collarbone in Barcelona. Alex Marquez withdrew from the Czech GP due to the effects of his injuries.
The Dutch Grand Prix was not plain sailing for last year’s runner-up, as he suffered a nasty highside between turns 11 and 12 in practice. Teammate Fermin Aldeguer crashed at the same spot earlier in the session and was ruled out for the rest of the weekend.
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Pecco Bagnaia blamed the track temperature for Marquez’s crash, with Assen experiencing significant heat throughout the weekend. Despite the heavy crash, the Gresini rider was cleared of serious injury.
The 30-year-old went on to finish an impressive P5 ahead of brother Marc Marquez. The Ducati rider dropped to P7 for track infringements after he cut the final chicane with Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Speaking to Motorsport Espana after the race, Alex Marquez explained that he was ‘suffering’ throughout the race, but continued out of pride and enjoyment. Otherwise, he admitted that he would have stopped.
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Asked if he planned to retire from the race after 10 laps, he said: “That was my thought too. To do a bit more of the sprint and then push myself.
“I stayed out because of the position I was in, and because I was enjoying it. But with 10 laps to go, I would have stopped, honestly. I was completely exhausted.
“But I was fine, in the fight, still comfortable. The position is always motivating, and makes you want a little bit more, and all of that helped me to finish the race in a pretty good way.
“It’s been a mix of suffering and enjoyment, but more of the former than the latter, honestly. I enjoyed the first part of the race, then I suffered a lot. But it was more a matter of pride, of giving it my all. And that’s it, that’s the reason I finished.”
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Marc Marquez calls Alex Marquez ‘fantastic’ after beating him at the Dutch Grand Prix
Marc Marquez was full of praise for his brother after the Dutch GP. He even admitted that he was faster than him despite his fitness issues.
He told Motorsport Espana: “My brother is the reigning world runner-up. I mean, he’s very good. Alex held back, he paced himself very well throughout the weekend, and like I said, he’s the world runner-up and last year here he was much faster than me.
“I was able to defend him in the sprint, and in the race because he crashed, otherwise he would have won. But as he showed in Jerez and Montmeló, he’s a fantastic rider.”
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