eleven years. That’s how long it’s been since Marc Marquez forced Valentino Rossi through the gravel at the final chicane of Assen in one of the most controversial moments in MotoGP history. On Sunday, the scene was repeated in the same corner, with the same circuit, same hero – but the roles reversed. And the man watching it unfold directly from behind probably had the most personal perspective of all.
Alex Márquez, riding battered, bruised and barely functional during a Dutch TT weekend that had already put him through physical suffering that few riders will have endured, was in the group right behind his brother Marc when Fabio Di Gianantonio made an aggressive move into the final chicane with seven laps remaining. Marc Marquez was forced to race through the final chicane while trying to defend fourth from Di Gianantonio, allowing brother Alex to pass the red machine. The Ducati Lenovo rider went through the gravel. Di Giannantonio passed through the blue colored area beyond the track limits. And the unintended beneficiary of the chaos was Alex Marquez, who moved up two places in the same corner.
The incident between Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez was reminiscent of a similar overtake that occurred between Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi in 2015. That day, Rossi was forced to cross the gravel, allowing him to retain the lead and win the Grand Prix. Di Giannantonio, who rides for Valentino Rossi’s own VR46 team, acknowledged the uncanny symmetry while dismissing any deeper meaning. “When I looked at the images again, it was extremely interesting to see the similarities again. But sometimes these kinds of things happen. Also, sometimes I read something with dates and hours, but I think it was a complete coincidence.”
Marc Marquez, particularly economical in his response to the managers’ decision, offered three words that say everything about his attitude towards the incident. His verdict on the entire episode, on contact, on the penalty given to Di Giannantonio: “Yo accato, corro y callo” – I comply, I run, and I remain silent. Not one letter more than that.
The FIM stewards gave Di Giannantonio a long lap penalty for losing time as he approached the chicane straight. Di Giannantonio himself admitted that he had momentarily forgotten the rule that governed such incidents. “I was expecting a penalty because I butchered the chicken, but honestly I didn’t remember the rules; I was busy! When it came, I said, ‘Ah, what for?’ But then, ‘Ah, maybe yes’. It’s my fault for never trying a long lap earlier during the weekend, which I always do at least once.” He served a penalty, lost minimal time and ultimately fought back to finish fourth – now just 16 points off the championship lead.
But it was Alex Marquez who gave the most impressive take on the entire episode, presenting it with a philosophical precision that’s more difficult than any direct attribution. “When you throw a boomerang, it always comes back,” he told reporters. No expansion required. The message was clear to anyone who remembered 2015, and most of all to Di Giannantonio.
Alex achieved a small but impressive feat on Sunday in Assen. Although he was not yet in peak physical condition after a terrible fall in Barcelona and Friday’s pre-qualifying fall that left him with an injury to his right shoulder and scratches on his left hand, the Gresini rider managed to join the battle for the top positions and unexpectedly finished fifth. He was ready to stop with ten laps remaining, his body simply giving up under the brutal punishment of a few weeks. “Later, I was really lucky that some people crashed or had technical problems and all these things, and I gained a lot of position. But it’s true that then, in the end, I said ‘Okay, I’ll stop’. But then I looked at the situation and said ‘Okay, I’ll just try to finish the race.’
The Di Giannantonio incident was the moment that inspired him to move forward. Alex Márquez gained two positions due to an incorrect overtake by Di Gianantonio on Marc Márquez at the final chicane. Two free positions assigned due to controversy, which almost led to the retirement of the fifth, due to nothing more than arrogance and unwillingness to step down.
“But still, I was able to finish. I wasn’t able to defend DeGia in the last lap because I was physically exhausted, but that’s OK.”
A boomerang was thrown at Marc Marquez. Eventually caught by Alex. And warning hung in the air in Assen long after the riders had packed up and headed home.
