As in the old days of nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi, two Italians stole the show during the 92nd edition of the Dutch TT. Francesco Bagnaia and Marco Bezzecchi gave the weekend shine and gave the people hope for the rise of new heroes.
The shoes were big to fill and they still are. Anyone who makes a lap around the circuit during the TT can still see the legacy of Valentino Rossi everywhere. The long yellow ribbons along the track, the popular Rossi grandstands, are gone, but the hero of yesteryear is still honored with caps, banners and all kinds of other expressions with his legendary number 46 on it.
When TheDoctor decided to retire in 2021, the search for new icons of motorsport began. Initially, Fabio Quartararo seemed to be the prime candidate. The Frenchman almost literally followed in Rossi’s footsteps at Yamaha, and immediately grabbed the world title, but since the Japanese brand is on the decline, Quartararo’s popularity has also waned.
A new generation of young heroes is making headway
Still, the motorsport audience need not despair, because during the 92nd edition of the TT, the more than 179,000 visitors saw a new generation of young heroes making headway. The winner of the Sunday high mass, Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia, has declared his love for Assen several times in recent days. He saw that confession, which he reinforced with a tattoo of the circuit layout on his upper arm, met with pure adoration from the crowd.
Marco Bezzecchi, who won all races except Sunday’s race, was also taken to the hearts of the spectators, not least because the curly-haired scion of Rossi’s VR46 racing school is very reminiscent in looks and behavior. to a cross between the nine-time world champion himself and the much too early deceased, but also very popular Marco Simoncelli at the time. Bezzecchi also emphasized more than once during the TT that there is only one real speed cathedral in the world. If you say that, you can’t do much wrong in Assen.
Boiling hot asphalt
All in all, the Italian duo made it a fantastic show on the boiling hot asphalt of the Drenthe capital. ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia was crowned king of the 92nd TT on Sunday. The 26-year-old Italian was everyone’s boss in Assen. It was a memorable victory for the driver from Turin. Valentino Rossi was the last to win the TT twice in a row in 2004 and 2005. Bagnaia was next with victories in 2022 and 2023.
Bagnaia started from second position, but overtook the strong Marco Bezzecchi after a few laps. The Ducati driver never relinquished the lead. The difference between Bagnaia and Bezzecchi fluctuated around one second during the remainder of the race.
Bezzecchi, who won the sprint race on Saturday, crossed the finish line in second. Aleix Espargaro after a correction, which saw the hapless Brad Binder fall back a spot for track overrun for the second time and lose his podium, in third.
‘Oh my dear Assen, you were fantastic again’
,,I am very happy”, said the silver Bezzecchi afterwards. “Right after the start I came into contact with several drivers, but that did not cause any insurmountable damage. Pecco was too fast for me in the end, but I still look back on a very nice weekend in a beautiful city, because that is Assen. I enjoyed the TT and I think we really deserved the results we got. We have worked hard for this with the entire team. You really can’t make me happier than with such a weekend at the TT Circuit.”
As mentioned, winner Bagnaia was also full of praise for the capital of Drenthe. “It was fantastic again. It certainly wasn’t an easy race, I was really pushing the limit. But I love this track and this crowd. Oh my dear Assen, you were fantastic again.”
The reigning world champion was welcomed with a thunderous fireworks on top of the finish arch. It was the first time that this happened in Assen. Show elements are becoming increasingly important next to racing, according to the organizers, to attract the public to the track.
Scary moments on the track
Bagnaia, who is also currently leading the fight for the world title in MotoGP, spoke of scary moments on the track early in the race, as a result of which lap times were not high. According to the Italian, the cause was the hot asphalt, which made the grip less than normal.
,,But when I saw that everyone was suffering from this, I just started to drive my own race, especially when I was in first place. From that moment on, I mainly decided to drive a consistent and stable race in the hope that I wanted to stay ahead of my pursuers and I succeeded. I’m happy with how it all turned out and that I was able to close the first part of the season like this. On to the second half, but first enjoy a few quiet summer weeks without races.”