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Assen track, Pecco province, the realm of Bagnaia. A garden a bit far from home, where the world champion plants victories instead of flowers. For three years now, he's been beautifying it and finding it exactly like it was, the next season. On weekends like this, the others are mere extras on a stage that doesn't belong to them. They can only make the best out of a bad game.
THE GOOD - He got on the stage (with his Ducati) surrounded by a cloud of smoke. A clear indication of a pact with the devil ... of speed. Even the color of his bike is Mephistophelean. And, to his opponents, he's a devil. The only one who felt he was in heaven at Assen was Pecco Bagnaia, and there's no need to even explain why.
THE BAD - It may no longer be the "temple" of the good old days, but Assen remains a fine "cathedral of speed". Beautiful like a rose, but with thorns. Aleix Espargarò, Lorenzo Savandori, and Alex Rins discovered how hard the Dutch asphalt is. The same fate for Joe Roberts.
THE UGLY - In the good old days, as a racer, Freddie Spencer bragged about seeing the world in slow motion. Now that he's sitting in front of Race Direction screens as Chief Steward, he could use a pair of glasses. Penalties come in biblical times, assuming they do. Other than slow motion, like in the Matrix, he also needs a Maalox.
THE DISAPPOINTMENT - Not even Perry Mason would be able to put together a defense for Miguel Oliveira's performance. The Aprilia rides well, the Portuguese doesn't. Never a flicker, nor a spark, not even a dim light. At Assen, the sun shone all weekend, except on his garage.
THE CONFIRMATION - It's not the first time this has happened, but we're pleased to repeat ourselves. Seeing three Boscoscuro on the podium is always a beautiful sight. A triumph in craftsmanship and skill.
THE OVERTAKE - Why limit yourself to just one? Bastianini must have thought the same. He's good at complicating his life in qualifying, but even better at making up for it in the race. There's something for everyone, like in an ice cream shop.
THE ERROR - You win and lose, all together. The favorite motto of riders. Sharing joys and sorrows is fine, but Marc Marquez and his team forgot the former. On Saturday, the rider eliminated himself on the curb. On Sunday, the team lowered the tire pressure too much, causing the Spanish rider's blood pressure to rise. There's no jubilation in common evils.
THE SURPRISE - Among Jorge Martin's virtues, patience has never been his strong suit. Instead, he got it together at Assen and, after a quick look at Bagnaia's times, he realized that waiting is sometimes better ... and it helps you bring home points.
THE ANECDOTE - Forty years ago, Randy Mamola won the Assen GP. He allowed himself a photo with the cup that would have been Bagnaia's on Sunday, keeping it warm for him.
THE I TOLD YOU SO - Bagnaia on Thursday: "It won't be easy to repeat in Assen." It sure looked like it was.
