Moto3, the first race of the day at the Assen TT on Saturday, was the only one to be dry throughout, and brought a first one-two finish for the new Honda NSF250RW, which is up against rival manufacturers in the keenly competitive category.
It was also a second win in succession for the younger of the Marquez brothers, Alex, who scored a decisive runaway at Barcelona two weeks before.
Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda) took over the lead on lap two, after pole starter Jack Miller (KTM) crashed out on the first corner. His only challenge came from team-mate Alex Rins, who caught and passed him at half distance, after Marquez had run wide and lost time.
Rins led briefly, but suffering from foot fractures sustained in Barcelona he wasn‰Ûªt able to sustain the pace ‰ÛÒ instead falling back into the hands of Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra). Rins ceded second to his rival for a game of cat-and-mouse, stalking to the end then pouncing under braking for the final corner to regain the position.
All six Moto3 Hondas finished in the points, with Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold Honda) emerging triumphant from a fierce battle for fourth, at the head of a pack of six over the line within less than half a second.
With Miller and championship second-place man Romano Fenati (KTM) both crashing out, Marquez‰Ûªs second win puts him equal on points with Fenati, and just seven behind Miller who continues to lead the championship standings.
‰ÛÏI am very happy to get a second straight win." Marquez stated. "It was a very strange race and I had a hard time from the beginning, because the track conditions had changed a lot from yesterday.
"On the early laps I was not entirely comfortable and there was a risk of crashing. I had a scare on the first lap, because it was very windy and the wind was lifting the bike up.
"I made mistake later on and was caught by Alex. From mid-race onwards I improved and at the end I felt very comfortable. I knew I could keep up the pace that we had and, when I saw that I was breaking away, I tried to stay focused.
"I‰Ûªm also happy for the team and for Honda, because they are doing a great job.‰Û
