Double world champion Pecco Bagnaia walked away from the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen with ten laps remaining after a braking problem became too severe to continue. The Ducati rider declined to describe the fault, saying only that he had to return to the garage and “cannot say anything.”
The retirement marked Bagnaia’s fourth non‑finish of the season and his third caused by a mechanical issue. Despite four Sundays without points, he remains 63 points behind Aprilia’s Jorge Martín, a gap he acknowledges could be closed with consistent results. Bagnaia reflected that losing over 40 points across Jerez, Le Mans and Assen has left him “not bad; it could be better, but it is what it is,” and stressed that points can be regained.
Looking ahead to the German Grand Prix, the last round before the summer break, Bagnaia expects teammate Marc Márquez to be the man to beat, noting Márquez’s nine‑win record at the Sachsenring. He hopes to stay on the podium and find “something extra” to match Márquez, even though the circuit is not his favorite.
