Gigi Dall'Igna: Marc Marquez riding with “sheer grit of a rookie”

Gigi Dall’Igna has heaped praise on Marc Marquez after the Spaniard equalled Giacomo Agostini’s premier class grand prix win total at the Dutch TT.

Marc Marquez clinched his 68th MotoGP victory at Assen last Sunday, matching the total set by Italian legend Agostini during his fabled career of the 1960s and 1970s.

The victory was taken in style by Marquez, too, rebounding after two fast crashes on Friday to secure his third successive double win, making him now unbeaten since he was third at Silverstone at the end of May.

“In the 10th round of the 2025 MotoGP, Marc [Marquez] notches his sixth win of the season, equalling the legendary Giacomo Agostini in terms of total number of wins in premier class: 68 in a world total of 94, and he does it on a prestigious track that hasn’t seen him triumph since 2018,” Dall’Igna said in review of the Dutch TT.

“And we know that Assen isn’t one of his favourites, as Mugello wasn’t: and yet, as with last week, when he decides to take the lead he does so, stays there and extends it at will if necessary.

“He thus seals his third consecutive Sprint-GP double after his ninth win in this year's Sprint Races.

“Extraordinary results and a well deserved mention for this formidable rider who is making MotoGP history, like the greats before him, with the enthusiasm, vivacity and the sheer grit of a rookie wanting to carve a name for himself: this says it all about him, his character and talent, but also about his professionalism.

“Although not 100 per cent this weekend, owing to Friday's two crashes, he still managed to weave his lethal web and there was nothing that his opponents could do to escape it.”

Dall’Igna added that he was content with the performance of Marquez’s teammate in the Ducati Lenovo Team, Francesco Bagnaia, who matched his best qualifying of the season in second and finished third for the second time in three races.

“I am also satisfied with Pecco's [Francesco Bagnaia] great race,” he said.

“For me his most intense this year excluding, perhaps, the win in Austin.

“He narrowly missed the pole position due to two imperfections in the crucial time attack lap.

“After an excellent start his pace was equally sound, which was also proven by the fast lap he recorded in the race.

“It goes without saying that we have to keep pushing, never quit believing and take the best from what we can do together, like his masterly overtaking of Acosta.”

Lastly, Dall’Igna had a word for Alex Marquez, who remains second in the riders’ standings despite his crash with Pedro Acosta on the back straight during Sunday’s race which resulted in a broken metacarpal for the Gresini Ducati rider.

“Finally, good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery to Alex Marquez: a nasty fall for someone who always battles on, never sparing himself,” Dall’Igna said.