News

It was an orange march of Dutch fever at Assen 12 months ago when Michael van der Mark became the first home rider to claim a podium finish in WorldSBK. Two third place finishes marked the high point of his rookie season, but Honda made a statement to the paddock about his potential on a Superbike.

Since then van der Mark has steadily developed into a top tier rider in WorldSBK. There have been setbacks but his progress has been as impressive as many expected following his 2014 WorldSSP Championship success. Over the winter the focus and determination that impressed last year was paired with more experience and improvements to the Honda Fireblade.

The three podiums to start the 2016 season showed how much he has developed as a rider. In Australia he showed maturity and in Thailand his Superpole speed impressed everyone. The Honda has clearly made a step forward and the developments have allowed van der Mark to flourish.

The 23 year old now looks ready to make the next step forward and win races. Having claimed an Assen WorldSSP win in 2014, nothing would be sweeter than another home victory but he’ll face a huge challenge this weekend if he’s to take the honours. Van der Mark’s form at Phillip Island is a good illustration of what we can expect from him this weekend. There are similarities with the tracks and they will provide the best opportunity for Honda to break their duck in 2016.

The Kawasaki charge though will be strong once again this weekend, with Jonathan Rea out to bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Aragón. The reigning champion never looked comfortable at the Spanish circuit but his performance showed again how difficult it will be to beat him in the Championship. Two podiums and 36 points are a successful weekend for most riders but given the high standards that Rea has set in the last 18 months, it marked a disappointing result.

With Chaz Davies winning both races in Aragón, the Welshman has upped the pressure on Rea. This weekend is a great opportunity for Davies to turn the screw tighter and increase the pressure. His strong form at Aragon was hardly surprising, it was always going to be a circuit that would suit the Ducati rider, and he was rightly the pre-race favourite. This weekend, however the expectation will be that Rea will be the dominant performer.

As a seven times Assen winner Rea has earned the tag of favourite for this weekend, but with that comes the expectation and pressure to win. Further down the Championship standings, there are some riders who will be free of that pressure and could spring a surprise.

Chief amongst the riders who can fly under the radar is Markus Reiterberger. The German rookie is a very good candidate for a strong result, having won both of the IDM Championship races from pole position last year. He will have plenty of data of the Dutch circuit and be able to immediately hit the ground running.

Josh Brookes shared the podium with Reiterberger in last year’s IDM round and despite a rough start to the season for the reigning British Champion he has won three times at Assen. The experience of the circuit should help him get up to speed quicker this weekend than others and familiarity with the surroundings should help. It’s been a difficult campaign so far for the Shaun Muir squad but Assen could be the spark that sets their season alight as they work hard to get to know their new paddock and BMW.