Alex Marquez leads Marc in Dutch MotoGP warm-up, all eyes on tyre choice

Alex Marquez bounced back from being runner-up to brother Marc during Saturday’s Sprint by setting the pace in Sunday morning warm-up for the Dutch MotoGP at Assen.

The Gresini Ducati rider, who will start today’s grand prix from the front row, led the short ten-minute session by 0.137s from title leader Marc, with Marco Bezzecchi again in third for Aprilia.

“Looks like we found a little bit to improve the bike,” Alex said afterwards. “I will push for it, but for sure Marc, Pecco, Quartararo and Bezzecchi will be there as well.”

2025 Dutch MotoGP, Assen - Warm-up Results

The session’s main focus was on tyre selection for the hotter, full-length grand prix.

All riders opted for soft front and rear compounds in Saturday’s Sprint, but rising track temperatures and double race distance have brought the harder compounds into play for the GP.

Here’s how the top ten riders began the session:

1.    Alex Marquez – 9-lap old soft front, new medium rear

2.    Marc Marquez – 7-lap old hard front, new medium rear

3.    Marco Bezzecchi – 9-lap old soft front, new medium rear

4.    Francesco Bagnaia – new hard front, new medium rear

5.    Fabio Quartararo – new hard front, new medium rear

6.    Pedro Acosta – 9-lap old soft front, new medium rear

7.    Jack Miller – new hard front, new medium rear

8.    Fermin Aldeguer – 8-lap old soft front, 5-lap old soft rear

9.    Maverick Vinales – new hard front, new medium rear

10.    Miguel Oliveira – 13-lap old soft front, new medium rear

Only the much-maligned medium front was unused. 

However, some riders may have chosen the hard front partly to preserve a final fresh soft front tyre for this afternoon’s race – a tactic used by poleman Fabio Quartararo in Saturday’s Sprint.

Both Monster Yamaha and Prima Pramac Yamaha debuted their special red and white Noriyuki Haga R7 livery in warm-up, part of Yamaha’s ongoing 70th anniversary celebrations.

Quartararo, chasing his and Yamaha’s first MotoGP win since Sachsenring 2022, will launch from pole position but must bounce back after crashing out of fourth in the Sprint.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez can equal Giacomo Agostini’s tally of 68 premier-class victories if he wins today. Agostini, present at Assen as Yamaha’s guest, claimed his final win in 1976.

Team-mate Francesco Bagnaia will try to make it four Dutch MotoGP victories in a row.

The red lights go out for the Dutch MotoGP at 14:00 local time.