One week after the Czech Republic, MotoGP moves to the Netherlands for the 10th round of the season. With 76 GPs behind it, the TT Circuit Assen is by far the most used circuit in the World Championship, having hosted World Championship races every year since 1949, except for 2020 due to the pandemic.
Historically, races were held on Saturdays, but 10 years ago they were postponed by one day, and since then they have always been held on Sundays.
GP data
According to Brembo engineers, who for the 11th consecutive year work closely with all MotoGP teams, the TT Circuit Assen, 4.542 km long, falls into the category of circuits that are not very demanding on brakes. On a scale from 1 to 6, it earned a difficulty index of 2, having only 2 of the 10 braking points in the Hard category, 3 Medium, while the remaining 5 are Light. In one lap, riders use the brakes for 27 seconds, as there is not even a single braking point lasting at least 4 seconds.
The toughest curve
The toughest curve of the TT Circuit Assen for the braking system is the first one after the finish line: MotoGP bikes go from 294 km/h to 114 km/h in 3.9 seconds, covering 205 meters while riders apply a load of 5.4 kg on the brake lever. The deceleration is 1.5 g, the Brembo brake fluid pressure reaches 11.6 bar, and the temperature of the carbon discs approaches 720 °C.
Marc's change
With 3 wins each in MotoGP, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia are the most successful active riders at Assen. However, the Spanish rider's victories came with distinctly different braking styles: during his time with Honda, he used the rear brake extensively, but with Ducati, he relies more on the front brake, thanks to the aerodynamic changes in modern bikes that now provide greater rear load. Indeed, it is rare to see current riders lift the rear during braking, unlike what was common years ago.
Honda on Honda
Ten years ago in Assen, Jack Miller achieved his first victory in MotoGP. Twenty years ago, Nicky Hayden triumphed, strengthening his bid for the MotoGP title. Thirty years ago, Mick Doohan won, and forty years ago, it was Wayne Gardner's turn. All four were riding a Honda, but with one difference: only the last three used Brembo brakes, which have equipped the bikes that have won the last 31 editions of the Dutch GP.
From Assen to the hand
The serious injury suffered by Mick Doohan during qualifying at Assen in 1992 led Brembo to invent the thumb pump, allowing riders to control the rear brake with their left hand. The first rider to use Brembo's index pump was Tito Rabat, two decades later. Since then, the index pump has gained some followers, but currently, no one in MotoGP uses it anymore. On the other hand, the thumb pump is widely used and available in two types, each with two different diameters to better meet riders' preferences.