The first part of the season draws to a close at Assen with Alex Marquez back among the protagonists and in the higher part of the classification in today’s race. The Spanish rider was sixth at the finish line of an encounter characterised by high temperatures and marked by a long-lap penalty as he exceeded track limits. The #73 managed to score some important points with the championship standings that see him now 10^th, only one point away from Quartararo. 
 
Fabio Di Giannantonio’s race came to an early and in what was probably the best moment for the Italian rider, who was all the way down in 20^th place at turn one; he managed to get back to ninth position and to get in a fierce battle with Nakagami. With eight laps left, the #49 lost the front at turn five and was forced to retire.
 
It is holiday time now for Team Gresini MotoGP who will be back in action with fresh energy in slightly more than a month at Silverstone, with one test at Misano with the Panigale scheduled for July 18-19.

6^th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (10^th in the championship standings with 63 points)
“We played our cards right: we solved some issues feeling-wise in the warm up and chose the softer tyre-option for the race, even though we knew we would have struggled in the second part of the encounter. After the 12^th lap it was really challenging with the rear tyre, but we still managed to bag some important points and finish this first part of the season in a crescendo.”
 
DNF - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (16^th in the championship standings with 34 points)
“Too bad really, because we were having a great race, a bit like in Germany. It’s clear that we must improve at the start as we lose too much ground but we’re improving in every race and this time we could have battled for the seventh-eighth position easily. The crash shouldn’t have happened, but with such a performance we’re going on holiday with a smile.”

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ TAKES APRILIA BACK TO THE PODIUM WITH A HEROIC RACE, RIDDEN ENTIRELY WITH THE BIKE MISSING A WINGLET, LOST IN THE EARLY STAGES

MAVERICK SUPER-FAST, ALREADY IN THE LEADING PACK FROM THE START, CRASHES OUT TO MISS OUT ON A RACE WHERE HE SURELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROTAGONIST

IMPORTANT POINTS FOR LORENZO SAVADORI WHO, FAST AND CONSISTENT, BATTLED ALL THE WAY TO THE END TRYING FOR A TOP-TEN FINISH

Aleix Espargaró puts Aprilia back on the MotoGP podium in the Assen race. And he does it his way, in true team captain style, battling like a lion even in the face of the misfortune which robbed his RS-GP of the front right winglet in the early stages of the race after contact on the first corner. With the bike unbalanced, Aleix never lost contact with the trio battling for the podium and, in the race finale, he defended against Martin’s attacks. So, by just a few thousandths and thanks to a penalty levied against Binder, he took home a well-deserved third place, just nineteen tenths behind the race winner.

Maverick also had an outstanding start and, super-fast, settled into sixth place overtaking Oliveira, Marini, and Miller. However, during the fourth lap, when he was staying close to the group which then went on to fight for the win and the podium, a crash excluded him from the race and from a certain role as protagonist. In any case, he is still taking home the outstanding sensations he had throughout the weekend and the good performance – both his and the bike’s – in situations that had proved to be difficult in the past, such as the race start.

It was a fantastic race for Lorenzo Savadori, the Aprilia Racing tester who rode in his second wild card of the season at Assen and who confirmed his outstanding performance from the sprint race yesterday in the full-length race today. He battled hard for a top-ten finish which he missed by just over a second, finishing eleventh and taking home another five points in the world championship, not to mention a lot of extra data for development of the RS-GP.

Aleix
“We deserve this! We have been working hard and we need to continue to do so. Today’s podium allows us to go on holiday with a bit more peace of mind. I started well but lost part of the front winglet straight away after contact with Marini. In fact, the bike moved around a lot and it wasn’t easy to maintain the pace. When I caught up with Brad, I tried to put him under pressure because overtaking was not at all easy. I knew he would be struggling in the finale with the soft tyre and, in fact, he was sliding around a lot and he touched the green. I’d like to dedicate this podium to everyone who works with me and to my family. This is not a simple sport and being surrounded by a good group of people is truly important.”

Maverick
“This is a weekend that leaves me happy, even with the race. I really started strong and braked extremely well at the first turn. I felt really strong on the bike, which was working quite well, so I pushed hard. I crashed because I lost the front end and that can happen if you decide to really have a go. Anyway, it’s all good. We need to continue looking for the limits, pushing the bike to the max, and this can happen. Our potential is clear and when we are able to exploit it, we can battle for the very top spots.”

Lorenzo
"It was undoubtedly a great weekend. On a track where we do not test, and with a lot of things to try, just missing a top-10 finish in such a close race is truly wonderful. It’s a shame about a small problem at mid-race that forced me to slow down, just when I was rather easily recovering to move into tenth place. But nothing can take away this performance that does a world of good for me and for Aprilia, demonstrating the quality of our hard work."

ALEIX FOURTH AND JUST BEHIND THE LEADERS AFTER A GOOD SERIES OF OVERTAKES, MAVERICK SEVENTH ON A COMEBACK RIDE THANKS TO GOOD PACE, LORENZO FAST AND PRECISE

At the end of an unquestionably thrilling race, the factory Aprilia machines finished fourth with Aleix and in seventh place with Maverick. However, the tale of the sprint race in Assen would be incomplete without the events of the early stages after the start. A few brash manoeuvres by Zarco, who then also slowed Miguel Oliveira, negated Aleix and Maverick’s good starts, moving them away from the group battling for the podium and forcing them into a comeback ride.

Aleix, with precise and clean overtaking, soon moved into fifth place, then making up ground on the riders ahead of him. Once he reached them, despite a brilliant pace, the feeling with the front end kept him from completing another pass which, with Binder’s penalty, would have clinched a podium placement for him.

Maverick, who started very well from the third row, also had to widen his line on turn 1 and was then involved in the race start tussles. His comeback stopped at seventh place, but the pace he demonstrated when he was able to lap without having to battle is a great confidence booster for him in view of the race tomorrow.

Also worth a mention is the performance by Lorenzo Savadori, in Assen as a wild card. Battling against much more seasoned factory riders, the Italian took sixteenth place to his great satisfaction, making him optimistic for the race tomorrow.

Aleix
"It was a good race. I lost a bit of time at the start with Zarco. I think he was a little too aggressive, but we know that this can happen in the sprint race. I was able to recover quickly enough and then, once I reached the group battling for the podium, I struggled a bit with the feeling at the front. I may have been faster than them in certain points, but I didn’t have the margin to overtake them. I think in the long race tomorrow I’ll have more chances."

Maverick
"I’m pleased. It was a good race because we were fast and able to overtake well. When I was able to maintain my pace, I lapped around the 32 and a half mark, which is a pace that would let me make a play for the podium. I also had a good start, but I braked too hard on the first corner and got caught up in the mele which cost me positions, but then I recovered extremely well. Naturally, there are still some things we need to figure out to improve, but we have the pace to stay at the front."

Lorenzo
"I’m happy with my sprint race. We all started extremely aggressively, with knives in our teeth, and I lost a bit of ground with overtakes and counter-overtakes. In any case, I had fun. It’s great to battle with the fast factory riders. Our pace isn’t bad. In the race tomorrow, I hope to be able to take another step forward. We are testing some new details on the RS-GP and the ability to be fast is definitely positive."

It was a disappointing Saturday afternoon for Team Gresini MotoGP, out of the battle for the top positions with both riders. Alex Marquez is ninth at the chequered flag and last rider in the points (also thanks to a penalty given to Marini during the last lap), while Fabio Di Giannantonio crashed out of the encounter after a few laps while trying a comeback.
 
The common (and negative) denominator for the riders #73 and #49 was the start. Both Gresini standard bearers lost four positions and were then forced to a comeback: this is not the ideal situation by any means, especially in a 13-lap race. The race pace is there, however, and so the ingredients to do a lot better tomorrow. The goal is a relaxed July and some smiley faces.

9^th ALEX MARQUEZ #73 
“Unfortunately, on the opening lap I had a first sector to forget. I got wrong everything I could get wrong from turns one to five and lost a lot of ground. We need something more feeling-wise, and we’ll work on that tomorrow during warm up. One point is better than nothing but it’s clear that we can and must aim at higher positions.”
 
DNF - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49
“We need to improve at the start, this is clear. I immediately lost several places, but in only one lap I had already passed four riders… I was behind Nakagami with the pace to bridge the gap with the group battling for the points, but while entering turn 11 I lost control of the bike and spun around. A pity, but it’ll be a whole different story tomorrow.”

On 1 May 1993, the British Motor Museum, known at the time as the ‘Heritage Motor Centre’, opened its doors for the very first time. Purpose-built to hold the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust’s collections, the Museum was created with one goal, to preserve the motoring history of Britain, now and into the future. A charity from the start, public support has helped the Museum collect, conserve and share the collections to inspire this generation and the next.

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, the British Motor Museum is hosting a 30^th Anniversary Celebration week from 14-20 August, packed with activities and events featuring old favourites, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. A Raffle, which will raise funds for the Museum’s future plans, offers a rare opportunity to take a ride in one of five legendary vehicles from the collection, including Huey, the first pre-production Land Rover and the Ford Anglia from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Tickets cost just £5.

A selection of the Museum’s famous cars will be put through their paces around the Museum grounds from Monday to Friday in Cars on the Move, offering visitors the chance to glimpse them in action. On 14, 16 and 18 August, visitors will have the opportunity to ride in a range of vehicles driven by the Volunteer team, including the 1952 Riley RMA and the 1960 Standard Ensign.

For one week only, the Welcome Gallery in the Main Museum will be playing host to “Our Story – 30 Years of the British Motor Museum”, a unique display featuring photos and materials from across its 30-year history. Bonnets Up, Doors Open will also take place every day, from 10:30 to 11:30 and from 14:30 to 15:30, when visitors can see inside the bonnets, boots and even doors of a selection of cars. The Volunteers will also be giving a selection of History Talks from Monday to Friday. In addition, there will be a special MG Centenary Tour, running on 17 and 19 August, to commemorate 100 years of MG, another significant motoring milestone for 2023.

The summer activities and family tours have a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) theme, and the popular Science Shows return for the anniversary event, running from 17-19 August. Children will learn and laugh along with the Museum’s brainy scientists as their experiments explore friction, electricity and more!

A designated Access Day will take place on 16 August to provide a pleasant and enjoyable visitor experience for the widest possible audience.  ‘Quiet hours’ will run from 9am to 10am and 5pm to 6pm, with lowered lighting levels and the audio-visuals turned off. Touch and Access Tours and Object Handling Workshops will also be held, allowing visitors to get hands-on with the cars and artefacts. Meanwhile, out on the Northern Arena, Young Driver will be offering accessible 15-minute taster sessions that visitors from 10 to 110 can enjoy – regardless of accessibility needs! Plus, there will be an air-drying clay activity in the Learning Space.

A 30^th Anniversary Quiz Night will take place on the evening of Friday, 18 August, with a BBQ dinner and rounds covering general knowledge, music, movies and the last 30 years of the Museum’s history, plus a cash prize for the winning team! Finally, in the tradition of the Gaydon Gatherings, there will be a 30^th Anniversary Breakfast Meet on Sunday, 20 August. Anyone can turn up in any vehicle, car, bus, lorry, motorbike, scooter, tractor, etc. Delicious breakfast is available to buy inside the Museum's Junction 12 Café, or you can grab a light bite to eat outside. 

Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum, said, “Since that first day, 30 years have passed, the collections have grown dramatically, and millions have passed through our doors to discover the history of the motor industry in Britain, through over 400 historic British vehicles and our amazing archives. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and excited about our plans for the future.  There is a wide range of activities available for the Anniversary Week, and there’s really something for everyone. We’re looking forward to celebrating with you”.

For more information about the Museum, please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk.