“I'm in great shape”: Marc Marquez can equal Agostini at Dutch MotoGP

Marc Marquez has his first chance to equal Giacomo Agostini’s tally of 68 premier-class wins at this weekend’s Dutch MotoGP in Assen.

Victory on Sunday would see the eight-time world champion draw level with Agostini for second on the all-time list, behind only the 89 wins of former rival Valentino Rossi (see list below).

Marquez arrives at Assen following a dominant display at Mugello, where he ended a five-year drought with a flawless sweep of the pole position, Sprint win and MotoGP victory.

“From Mugello straight to Assen for the first back-to-back of the season,” said Marquez. “We get there after a great win in front of the Ducatisti and the Italian crowd. It wasn't granted, because I hadn't won at Mugello for many years.”

Like Mugello, Assen has traditionally been a tough challenge for Marquez, who has only two previous MotoGP wins at the circuit, in 2014 and 2018.

Last season, in his Gresini Ducati debut’, he crashed out of the Sprint and finished fourth in the grand prix, later being demoted to tenth due to a tyre pressure penalty.

“Also the Assen track, on paper, isn't one of the ones that best enhance my riding style, but here the Ducati has been very strong in recent editions,” he said.

“Let's get back to work. I'm in great shape and it's an aspect that we have to fully exploit.”

Ducati meanwhile has won the Assen round, the only current event that also formed part of the inaugural 1949 season, for the past three years with team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.

If Marquez wins on Sunday, it will be his first three-in-a-row sweep of successive GP races since 2019, when he won his most recent MotoGP crown.

Whatever happens this weekend, Marquez’s 40-point lead over younger brother Alex means he will still be on top of the world championship even if he fails to score a point at Assen.

Most 500cc/MotoGP Wins (all-time):

1.  Valentino Rossi – 89

2.  Giacomo Agostini – 68

3.  Marc Marquez – 67

4.  Mick Doohan – 54

5. Jorge Lorenzo – 47