The MotoGP™ paddock arrives in The Netherlands this week for the only Saturday race of the year, The Assen TT on the 30th June.

Yamaha Factory rider Jorge Lorenzo arrives at the Assen circuit having won the last three consecutive races and leading the championship by 25 points. The Dutch circuit is a favourite of his, having won there in all three Grand Prix classes. After his Silverstone victory he has equalled current World Champion Casey Stoner’s Grand Prix win record of 42, and now also has the fourth highest podium rate for riders of the modern-era of GP racing, sitting just narrowly behind Wayne Rainey, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi with 68.5%.

Ben Spies arrives at the Assen circuit looking to repeat his performance of last year. The Dutch TT was the scene of his first Grand Prix race victory, taken in the red and white Yamaha 50th Anniversary racing livery. Spies has had a tough start to the season, yet scored a fifth place at Silverstone, which the Texan will no doubt hope will be a stepping stone for further improvements to come. He is currently 11th in the championship standings with 35 points.

Jorge Lorenzo

“Assen and Brno are the tracks I think I have won at the most. I feel very strong there and we are very focused this season so I’m confident. We haven’t made so many mistakes and are working well towards the championship title. Our target remains to be on the podium each race and if possible take a win. Assen is good for our bike and it suits my riding style so let’s see what happens.”

Ben Spies

“I’m really looking forward to this race. I love riding the Assen track and have always had great results here, especially last year! The place of your first Grand Prix win will always be unique. We’ve had a tough start to the year but have made good steps forward so I’m confident that we can step up and be fighting for the podium this weekend.”

Massimo Meregalli, Team Director

“We’re heading to Assen this week full of confidence. Ben had a fantastic race last year there, his first Grand Prix win. The Assen track really suits his style of riding so we expect him to be up there. Jorge has a great record on the track so we also expect him to be fighting at the front as usual. We hope to have some consistent weather across the race weekend so we can get the most out of the YZR-M1.”

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