2025 Dutch MotoGP, Assen - Friday Practice Results

* Rookie

Official Assen MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 1m 30.540s (2024)

Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 1m 31.866s (2024)

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo surprises with the fastest lap time after an incident-packed and twice red-flagged Friday practice for the 2025 Dutch MotoGP at Assen.

The Frenchman edged out Alex Marquez, KTM’s Pedro Acosta, Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia on his final lap.

Meanwhile, MotoGP title leader Marc Marquez’s day ended as it started - being helped from the gravel trap after a fast accident, this time at Turn 7. 

Marquez, who had already secured direct Qualifying 2 access in sixth place, returned via the back of the Ducati garage before heading for checks in the medical centre.

After a spate of early lowsides, the session was red-flagged for the first time due to a brutal highside for Ai Ogura, which left the rookie’s Trackhouse Aprilia in flames.

A second red-flag period followed when factory Aprilia rider Lorenzo Savadori became the eighth faller of the afternoon, another RS-GP highside leaving his bike in the middle of the track.

Alex Marquez had been the first of the afternoon fallers, in the opening minutes.

While the Gresini rider sprinted for his spare bike, rookie team-mate Fermin Aldeguer (Turn 7), LCR’s Johann Zarco (final chicane), VR46’s Franco Morbidelli (Turn 12), Tech3’s Enea Bastianini (final chicane) and HRC stand-in Aleix Espargaro (Turn 7) all fell in quick succession.

The spate of accidents pointed towards the 18-degree air temperature being on the cool side for the medium compound Michelin front, but with warmer weather expected, teams wanted data on the likely race tyre.

However, Marc Marquez, who bounced back from a big Turn 15 crash to lead this morning, understandably played it safe, switching to a used soft front tyre and moving to the top (with the new Ducati aero). Others followed.

Yamaha’s former Assen winner Quartararo went for new soft rubber early to move to the top just before the midway stage.

Then came the most dramatic accident of the day, a violent highside for Ogura (on soft tyres) at Turn 11 that forced red flags to extinguish flames from his RS-GP and clear the debris. The Japanese, who fractured a leg at Silverstone, fortunately walked away.

Alex Marquez was still only 20th as the restart began, but swiftly moved to the top of the timesheets, on a new soft rear but old front.

With most of the crashed riders without a spare bike, the end-of-session time attacks were especially tense as they sought to claim a Q2 place in the tricky conditions.

Then came a second red flag after a highside for factory Aprilia stand-in Lorenzo Savadori at Turn 8, which left the Italian and his RS-GP in the middle of the track.

The stoppage was extended to allow safety advisor Loris Capirossi to personally check some fluid at the scene of the accident.

When the session finally restarted, with 13 minutes to go, Marc got the better of Alex for P1 while defending Assen winner Francesco Bagnaia, just 13th, waited in pit lane.

The Italian appeared to deliberately get out of sync with his rivals, allowing him a clear – and yellow flag free – track.

It worked and Bagnaia shot to the top by 0.045s over his team-mate - before four riders, from four different manufacturers, moved ahead of the Italian.

* Rookie

Official Assen MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 1m 30.540s (2024)

Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 1m 31.866s (2024)

Marc Marquez returns from a big early accident to lead a delayed Free Practice 1 for the 2025 Dutch MotoGP at Assen.

The 45-minute session started almost an hour late due to a major clean-up for an oil spill in the wet Moto3 session. The delay meant conditions were dry enough for slicks when the green lights eventually went on for the premier-class.

Just eight minutes later Marc Marquez was rolling through the Turn 15 gravel trap after losing the rear, then the front, of his Ducati at almost 200km/h.

Worryingly, the Spaniard immediately removed his left glove and began examining his hand.

Returning to the paddock on a scooter, a sore Marquez walked slowly into the team truck, followed by Dr. Angel Charte, MotoGP medical director.

Described as ‘very sore’, with his left forearm and hand the main concern, Marquez was nonetheless back in the garage by the midway stage and left pitlane again with 20 minutes to go.

Marquez is reported to have explained that he downshifted too quickly, causing the rear to slide and triggering his crash.

The discomfort didn’t appear to slow him down, with Marquez putting his spare red machine on top of the timesheets on his seventh lap. He later improved again to finish 0.313s clear of the field.

Tech3 KTM’s Maverick Vinales began his latest quest for an RC16 podium with a promising second place, splitting the Lenovo machines.

Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi featured at the front on his way to third, ahead of early leader and defending winner Francesco Bagnaia.

VR46s Fabio di Giannantonio was fifth with Fabio Quartararo frustrated at his shaking M1 on the way to sixth.

Gresini rookie Fermin Aldeguer saved a huge rear slide at Turn 12 in the closing stages.

This afternoon’s one-hour practice, which will decide the top ten riders for direct access to Qualifying 2, is due to start at 3pm local time.

HRC’s Luca Marini is still recovering from multiple injuries while testing a Superbike at Suzuka in Japan last month.

Marini is replaced by Honda test and wild-card rider Aleix Espargaro, who memorably charged through the field to claim fourth place - just 2.5s behind the winner - with Aprilia in 2022.

Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori is again replacing injured reigning world champion Jorge Martin at Aprilia.

Yamaha will race with a special 'Noriyuki Haga' R7 livery as part of the company's 70th anniversary celebrations, on Sunday.