After an extended break, MotoGP™ is back! And what better circuit for the pinnacle of two-wheel racing to return to than Assen. The iconic track has been with the World Championship since the beginning, and this weekend will be the 75th edition of the Dutch TT.
With the return of track action comes the return of the popular MotoGP™ Fantasy game, so let’s take a look at the landscape so you can get your teams in order!
Who are the form riders after the Italian GP?
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) stole the show in Mugello, taking both the Tissot Sprint and race win, and collected an impressive total of 59 points along the way in MotoGP™ Fantasy. The Italian scored almost double that of any other rider, with teammate Enea Bastianini the next highest scorer. ‘The Beast’ put on a late Sunday show to fire himself into P2 and make it an Italian and factory Ducati one-two on the podium.
Future factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) earned 29 points after claiming a Sprint podium and Sunday P4, while Fabio Di Giannantonio rounds out the Italian GP Dream Team with 28 points.
After their Sunday one-two, it’s no surprise that Ducati Lenovo Team were the top team from the weekend, with Ducati the top constructor, collecting 45.5 points in each category.
Who are the standout choices in Assen?
Put simply, it is very hard to ignore the irrepressible Bagnaia once again this weekend. The Italian is chasing two different hat-tricks at Round 8, the first of which is three consecutive wins after his back-to-back Barcelona and Mugello successes. If he were to do so, he would be the first rider to take three wins in a row since 2022, when the Italian himself won four in a row to help launch his spectacular title comeback having been 91 points in arrears to Fabio Quartararo.
He looks well placed to do so too, with the second hat-trick being three consecutive Assen victories. At $4.5M, he won’t come cheap, but given his recent form and history at the circuit, he looks a good bet to pick up some big points.
If you aren’t willing to part with such a large chunk of your budget, then there are certainly some more price-friendly options available. Marco Bezzecchi hasn’t quite scaled the heights of his magnificent 2023 campaign this year, but the Pertamina Enduro VR46 rider has a strong track record in Assen. In two MotoGP™ visits, the #72 has delivered two P2s and at just $2.3M, may prove to be a differential in your team.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) is another rider with a rich history in the Netherlands, taking four consecutive podiums, including a win, between 2018 and 2022, though he crashed out of last year’s race. 'Top Gun' often blows hot and cold, but if he shows some early signs of form in Assen, he may be worth a punt.
Then there are of course the usual suspects, with the likes of Enea Bastianini ($3.4M), Marc Marquez ($3.8M) and KTM's Brad Binder (3.2M) always likely to score strong over any given weekend. As for Championship leader Jorge Martin, the Prima Pramac star is the game’s most expensive rider, and for good reason, at $4.6M. However, the #89 has never scored a premier class podium in Assen, with P5 in 2023 being his best offering to date. With the title lead on the line in the Netherlands, we may see him rectify that over the weekend, but he will face some stiff competition.
It's set to be yet another barnstormer at the Cathedral of Speed, so make sure you tune in from Friday, June 28th!