Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP have left the Sachsenring and headed north-west to the TT Circuit Assen, the Dutch track that‘s often referred to as ’The Cathedral‘ of motorcycling. The team, Fabio Quartararo, and Maverick Viñales have booked their fair share of successes in the Netherlands in previous years and can‘t wait for an action-packed race weekend in front of some cheering Dutch fans.
Fresh off the German GP rostrum, Quartararo is already fully focused on the task ahead. Following a third place at the Sachsenring last Sunday, a circuit he finds challenging, the Frenchman is in good shape to charge for the podium again at TT Circuit Assen, which he loves.
El Diablo has scored some impressive results in The Netherlands so far. In his Moto3 debut year (2015) he secured a second place there. He equalled the achievement in the Moto2 class in 2018, and he followed this up with a third place in the MotoGP class the year after. Due to the global pandemic, he has not had the opportunity to better this premier class performance until now, making him extra excited for the upcoming round.
After the disappointment in Germany, Viñales is keen to retaliate. He intends to put the last outing behind him, keep the positive vibes going this weekend, and gain some momentum at the TT Circuit Assen.
The number-12 rider has enjoyed strong results at the much-beloved Dutch track. He enjoyed a four-podium streak in Assen, securing a 125cc win in 2011 (his Grand Prix racing debut year), a Moto3 win in 2012, a second place in Moto3 in 2013, and a Moto2 second place in 2014. Once he moved up to the premier class, he got up on the rostrum with Yamaha twice, scoring a third place in 2018 and a brilliant win in 2019, making him the latest Dutch GP winner.
The TT Circuit Assen was especially built for the Dutch GP in 1955, but Assen has been part of the Motorcycle World Championship calendar every year since 1949, as the race was originally held on public roads. The current Assen track measures 4.5km and remains a favourite amongst riders thanks to its rapid changes in directions, coupled with a nice mixture of high-speed and low-speed corners (six left and twelve right). Especially the Geert Timmer chicane just before the start-finish straight makes for great entertainment right in front of the main grandstand.
Our MotoGP eSport Riders Lorenzo Daretti (73Trast) and Michael Amara (Vindex) wanted an extra challenge for this week's MotoGP eSport video. They held a 7-lap race at the TT Circuit Assen in full wet conditions, whilst the MotoGP21 videogame was set on hard-mode.
