Marc Márquez reigns even on the worst days

At another circuit where he expected to suffer, and in fact did, Marc Márquez emerged victorious again on Saturday. The Spanish Ducati rider once again displayed his management skills in the sprint of the Dutch GP to win his ninth short race of the year from 10 rounds. The World Championship leader once again outperformed his brother Álex in the tenth Saturday one-two for the family and dealt another morale boost to his teammate Pecco Bagnaia , who finished fifth after starting second and ahead of him.

Still in pain from his two crashes on Friday , the elder Márquez brother decided to take it easy in qualifying to avoid another crash. “I took a deep breath; my body can't accept another crash like yesterday's,” said the eight-time world champion, aware of his physical limitations at 32 years of age. He's no longer made of rubber and can handle anything, like he was in his early years, with miraculous recoveries and truly outrageous performances on and off the track. Even so, he's still capable of making the most of his worst days.

Fourth on the starting grid, with Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) on pole and Bagnaia and Álex ahead, the 93 took off like a rocket and pulled alongside the leader from the first braking point. Although he couldn't pass the 2021 champion, he made the final push in the chicane before the finish line to take the lead and masterfully manage the attacks from the youngest of the family. Álex, despite riding a Gresini satellite Ducati, once again emerged as the best of the rest and the only one capable of keeping pace with the championship's dominant force.

“Today was a bit frustrating. I was much faster in the third sector, but the corners were tight and too fast,” confessed the runner-up, who tried unsuccessfully to get his bike behind Marc in a relentless chase from the second lap on. Alex dropped to fourth at the start, but soon overtook Bagnaia and also thrashed Quartararo in a matter of turns. Already on the third lap, he was trying to tickle the leader, unfazed even while suffering. “I didn't expect to win this sprint , but when I got into the lead, I tried to defend myself without making mistakes or overdoing it on the bike,” said the elder Márquez.

Behind him, Bagnaia , who had enjoyed his best weekend of the year at one of his favorite circuits—he was coming off three consecutive victories at Assen—couldn't maintain his feeling from practice in the short race. He dropped from second to sixth place, and only Quartararo's crash with four laps remaining allowed him to gain a place under the checkered flag. The three-time Italian champion was overtaken by his compatriots Fabio Di Giannantonio, who rides the same bike as him and Márquez under the VR46 team colors, and Marco Bezzecchi. The Aprilia mainstay managed to climb onto the podium alongside the brothers on another important day for the Noale factory. Jorge Martín's representative had once again stirred up the hornets' nest in the conflict between the still-injured world champion and the Piaggio brand.

Although there has been no progress in the negotiations, the number one continues to claim he's released from his contract, while the factory flatly denies it. This Monday, Martín will undergo a medical examination and, if all goes well, should be back on the bike soon.