Marc Márquez won the sprint race at the TT Assen for the ninth time this season on Saturday. The Spaniard from the Ducati factory team strengthened his leading position in the MotoGP championship with the points earned.
Márquez flashed forward from fourth place immediately after the start and threatened Frenchman Fabio Quartararo in the first corner, who had started from pole position. Before the first lap, Márquez passed the Yamaha driver.
The 32-year-old Márquez then faced his younger brother Álex, who also overtook Quartararo and moved up to second place. The six-time world champion in MotoGP managed to keep his brother at bay and maintain the leading position until the end.
The Italian Marco Bezzecchi finished third. Francesco Bagnaia, the winner of the last three editions of the TT, finished fifth. Quartararo crashed in the tenth of thirteen laps and dropped out.
Quartararo on pole for main race
Despite the crash, it was not a completely lost day for Quartararo. He previously won pole for the main race earlier in the day. With his time of 1:30.651, he remained just above the track record.
It is the fourth pole for Quartararo this season. He won the TT Assen in 2021. This season, Quartararo has shown little after his pole positions. He is tenth in the World Championship standings.
Francesco Bagnaia finished second in qualifying. The Italian from the Ducati factory team is a driver who always performs in Assen. He has won the last three editions of the TT. The race starts on Sunday at 2:00 PM.