MotoGP returns to the 4,967 yards of the TT Circuit Assen, the penultimate race before the summer break. A historic track, the only one to have hosted a Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing round every year since 1949, modified several times over the years but always capable of providing an exciting show.

Aprilia heads there with high enthusiasm and a few points less than they should have been able to earn. Just over a year from the project début, the RS-GP has made visible and consistent progress since the season start, but up to now, circumstances have penalized the Italian team in the races. Team and riders have certainly not lowered their expectations. In the Barcelona tests, Aleix Espargaró and Sam Lowes once again worked in view of the (substantially continuous) development of the V4 prototype, confirming the overall quality of the technical package they have available to them.

Therefore, for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, the Dutch round promises to be a very important race. There are still many unknowns, especially on a demanding and complex track like the one in Drenthe, with the possibility of rain always looming at these latitudes.