#DutchGP: Pecco fast in the Sprint, on the podium in the Race!
Another race weekend. Another weekend full of suspense. Our Suomy Rider Pecco once again proves he’s incredibly fast, able to take the lead for several laps, and determined to respond to the well-known issues with feeling and grip. The outcome is very positive, with a fifth-place finish in the Sprint and a brilliant third place in the Race.
Overtakes, impossible braking, contact. The Assen GP delivered emotion and spectacle.
SPRINT RACE
History repeats itself. Race after race. Lap after lap. An iterative cycle that seems endless, with Pecco Bagnaia as the silent but determined and fast protagonist.
Our rider continues to prove, race after race, that he is fast, precise, and combative despite the serious and limiting issues with grip and feeling. In the Sprint race, starting from second on the grid, he gets overtaken and finishes fifth in a race that to many may have seemed lackluster but it shows he’s not willing to give way to anyone. The first five laps of Sunday’s race confirm this once again.
RACE
The race seemed to start under the best of circumstances, as Pecco immediately took the lead and looked to build a gap early on to later manage potential tire drop-off. He took control right from Turn 1 thanks to an excellent start.
The first five laps showed us a focused, sharp, and high-performing Pecco. As he himself stated after the race, Assen marked the first race of the season at the tenth round of the 2025 Championship where he truly felt capable of fighting for the win.
Unfortunately, from the sixth lap onwards, the 2025 pattern reemerged. Pecco struggled to brake where and how he wanted and couldn’t be incisive enough to match the pace of the toughest rivals.
Nevertheless, he secured a fantastic third place, earning important points and a confidence boost moving forward.
MOTO2
Our Ivàn Ortolà made us dream during qualifying: thanks to a clever use of slipstreams, he managed to set the second-fastest time in Moto2 during the tenth round of MotoGP.
An outstanding performance that showcased the potential of our rider, who has yet to translate his talent into results this season.
In the race, Ivàn took advantage of a slow start from the pole-sitter and stayed with the leading group for the opening laps. However, as the race went on, he was gradually swallowed up by the chasing pack.
Until three laps from the end, he was still in the points, but on lap 21 he was forced to retire.
“Throughout the weekend, maybe even more so than in recent races, I had a really strong pace in every session leading up to the Sprint. Unfortunately, once again today I couldn’t be as effective or aggressive as I needed to be: I have to brake earlier, and I don’t have enough grip — which means I end up getting passed by other riders. Even though I’m faster than the guys ahead of me, I find myself just watching them, waiting for someone to make a mistake so I can gain a position. It’s frustrating, because I’ve always struggled in the Sprint races since they were introduced.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Sprint Race 5°
“Here, for the first time, I felt I had a real chance to fight for the win. Today, when I finally managed to get fully dialled in, it was already a bit too late. I was lapping really fast, but I can’t seem to get close enough to the rider ahead. When I try, I end up taking too many risks, which usually lead to me running wide. It’s a tricky situation that has been with us since the start of the season, and it seems hard to solve – but we must keep working and take a step forward.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Race 3°
World Standings P. 3
Next Round:
GERMAN GP
Sachsenring
July 11-13th
Click the button below to find out all the images of the #SuomyCrew during the weekend in Assen.