Major changes to the old North Loop at Assen over the winter means that the circuit the MotoGP riders will see for the first time during free practice on Thursday is very different to the track on which they raced just 12 months ago.

Gone are the old S-Curve, Witterdiep, Madijk, Haarbrocht and Ossebroeken corners, although the names Haarbrocht, Ossebroeken and Strubben are used for corners on the new section of track that replaces the old North Loop.

Formerly the longest racetrack on the MotoGP calendar at almost six kilometres in length, the changes to the old North Loop have reduced the Assen circuit length by over one kilometre, to just 4.750 kilometres in total.

Which means that instead of completing 19 laps as they did during the 2005 Dutch TT, this year the MotoGP riders will race over 24 laps on Saturday, although the shorter circuit means that the overall race distance will be similar.


It remains to be seen whether the changes to the old North Loop have had a negative effect on the unique character of the Assen circuit, which is the only circuit to have hosted a Grand Prix round every year since the current World Championship started in 1949.

Tags: kawasaki, assen, circuit, lap, lenght,