After four difficult first Grands Prix, saved however by a good fourth place in Argentina, Bautista found the right rhythm by finishing fifth in Mugello, then seventh in Catalonia. He can therefore hope to improve at Assen his current eleventh place in the general classification, 8 points from the top 10 represented by Danilo Petrucci
The Italian Grand Prix marked a clear turning point in the Spaniard's season. Team Aspar. Not only did he finish fifth at Mugello, but he resisted for most of the race at Marc Marquez who only gave way to him at the finish line by eight hundredths of a second.
Bautista has had good performances in the past at Assen, placing third there in his fourth season in the 125 in 2006. For his debut in the 250 the following year, he again finished on the third step of the podium, before winning the Dutch GP in 250 in 2008. His best results in MotoGP were two seventh places obtained in 2013 and 2014.
To Alvaro Bautista, « In the Netherlands you always have to keep one eye on the track and one eye on the sky because the weather is very changeable and it can rain at any time.
“The last two races provided a boost to the team's morale, having finished fifth at Mugello and seventh at Barcelona after battling up front.
“It was important for us after the start to the season we had. Let's see if we can maintain this level of performance this weekend and fight, as I was considering doing at the start of the season, for a top five, which would be a great result.
“Assen was one of my favorite circuits until they changed it and made the first section so tight. Then there is a fast section, where you need an agile motorcycle for all direction changes.
“Now we have two races in a row where we have to maintain our level and continue to take points. »
