MotoGP Dutch GP: Marc Marquez beats brother to latest sprint success

Marc Marquez racked up yet another 2025 MotoGP sprint race win as he led home his brother Alex at the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen on Saturday.

Pole position rider Fabio Quartararo held onto the lead from the start, but was quickly demoted to fourth place and later crashed out of the race.

The Yamaha rider was able to see off a strong challenge at the first corner from Marc, who had rocketed from fourth on the grid. The pair, whom many consider the finest two riders on the current MotoGP grid, even touched on their way through the right-hander.

Quartararo won the battle at the first corner Haarbocht, it quickly became clear that he wasn’t going to win the war against Ducati and the Marquez brothers.

Marc took the lead as the field entered the chicane at the end of the lap, with Alex’s Gresini Ducati following the factory bike past the M1 one corner later.

Quartararo’s misery was not yet complete: Marco Bezzecchi slipped his Aprilia past at the chicane at the end of the second lap.

Bezzecchi and Quartararo then proceeded to keep Marc and Alex in sight as a largely processional race unfolded at the front following the flurry of early moves.

But while British GP winner Bezzecchi was able to scoop a sprint medal for Aprilia, Quartararo went down at Turn 10, Mandeveen, on lap 10.

Up at the front, there were times when Alex looked faster than Marc. He did not appear to give up hope of passing his brother at any point, and on one lap he very nearly showed him a front wheel at the ultra-fast Turn 12 Meeuwenmeer corner.

But, as has been the case in every sprint this year bar Silverstone, Alex ultimately had no answer for Marc. This was despite Marquez having suffered two heavy falls on Friday and being in sub-optimal physical condition.

Francesco Bagnaia faded from his position on the front row following an average start. He was stationed behind Quartararo on lap six, but that’s when he lost his position to Fabio di Giannantonio on the VR46 Ducati.

Di Giannantonio then held station to come home fourth ahead of Bagnaia. Sixth was Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM), with Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini) seventh following a long lap penalty for track limits.

Franco Morbidelli (VR46) was eighth, with Pedro Acosta picking up the final point in ninth. The Spanish KTM rider crossed the line ahead of Aldeguer and Morbidelli, but was demoted by a late time penalty for track limits infractions of his own.

Marc Marquez now holds a 43-point lead over second-placed Alex in the championship ahead of Sunday’s grand prix.

MotoGP Dutch GP – Sprint race results

Photos from Dutch GP – Qualifying & Sprint