The MotoGP World Championship is back this weekend for the last appointment before the holiday break. And it does so with one of the most legendary and eagerly awaited races in the year, the Dutch GP, back in the calendar after a coronavirus-forced absence in 2020.

The legendary Assen circuit will therefore host the ninth round of the season once again, this time to coincidence with its very own 90th anniversary.

Marc Márquez will try and consolidate his recovery just five days after his heroic triumph in Germany. However, as the #93 himself has warned, his German victory is not a reflection of his state of form.

The Catalan hero has, in fact, ruled himself out of the victory bid, but he also did before the German GP and then went on to claim the gold. Winning or not, his main objective remains to continue progressing and learning how to better manage the indomitable and under-performing RC213V.

Fabio Quartararo arrives in Holland with a strong hold on the lead of the standings. After taking his fifth podium of the season (three victories) in the German round, ‘El Diablo’ is showing a significant superiority.

His three victories & five podiums – three of them over the last four races – as well as his 22-point lead over his greatest rival Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), speak for themselves.

Encouraged by the great results and by the good performance of his M1, a machine only he seems to understand, he could well deal another blow to his rivals’ morale before breaking for the summer.

His teammate Maverick Viñales is a great example of the difficulties posed by the Japanese bike. Immersed in an unprecedented crisis, the Catalan pilot finished last in Germany, the worst MotoGP result of his career.

He is currently sixth in the standings, 56 points behind Quartararo. At least, Viñales might find some motivation in the fact that he took the win when MotoGP last visited Assen in 2019.

Johann Zarco is still Quartararo’s greatest rival this weekend.

After his German fiasco, where he finished eight from a starting second place, the Pramac Racing pilot is eager to shorten the distance that separates him from his compatriot.

His consistency, with four second places overall, has made him the best Ducati on the grid, despite coming from the satellite team.

The official Desmosedici, however, are closing in on him with Jack Miller and ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia nine and ten points behind respectively. The Italian arrives in Holland in great spirits following his epic comeback at the Sachsenring, where he completed a seemingly impossible top five.

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) could also capture the spotlight this weekend at the Dutch GP. His performance has gone through the roof over the past few races, partly thanks to the upgrades (chassis and fuel) undergone by his RC16.

The Portuguese pilot has taken three consecutive podiums, one victory in Catalonia and two second places in Mugello and the Sachsenring. His great state of form makes him a real threat for the favourites and we should see him at the top of the track at the “Cathedral of Speed” as his fellow Brad Brinder could improvide.

The pair from the Suzuki Ecstar Team is not giving out very good sensations. Joan Mir’s best results this season have been his two third places in Portugal and Italy, held back as he is by a very deficient GSX-RR. Not much for a defending champion.

He is currently fifth in the standings, 46 points behind the leader so he must improve his performance if he doesn’t want to be left behind in the title race. Meanwhile, his unfortunate teammate, Alex Rins, has enough on his plate with getting back into shape.

Images of Dutch GP: MotoGP.