The 250th MotoGP race at Assen crowned a very suprising winner!
MotoGP Assen Race Report
After a devastating and dramatic weekend in Catalunya, the riders didn’t get any relief in the Dutch GP. The MotoGP Assen was, quite literally, a race of two halves. This race claimed many casualties and turned the tables on several great riders.
After a damp start which saw Rossi and Iannone slide off their bikes, the rain started rocketing down and the red flags came out. Staff swept sheets of water from the track and the riders then formed a new grid for the restart, based on their final positions on lap 14.
The winner was… Australian Jack Miller!
The eventual victor in Assen was Australia’s Jack Miller for Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS. Miller is the definition of an underdog, this being his first win in the MotoGP class. We certainly never expected to see him on the top step of the podium, but we also know that in bad weather, anything can happen!
If you’re scratching your head about who Jack Miller is, then you should know that he jumped straight from Moto3 to the premier class in 2015. Many said that was crazy, and his unofficial nickname is ‘JackAss’. Not exactly complimentary…
So, how did he do it? Well, he’s always been good in the wet since he appeared in the 125cc world championship in 2011. He certainly made the most of the downpour in Assen, taking his chance to pass Marquez when the leaders fell in front. Holding his nerve, Miller has proved everybody wrong!
Jack fought back tears as he commented: “I don’t often say this but I’m lost for words. I feel incredibly emotional right now and it is hard to describe the sensation of winning for the first time in MotoGP…It might take a while to sink in but I am going to enjoy tonight that’s for sure!” He also thanked his team, his family and the team at Honda for giving him the chance to shine.
What happened to the usual champions in MotoGP Assen?
Andrea Dovizioso started in pole position in the second half, having done well in the tricky first laps. He battled with Rossi for first place, but his triumphant run didn’t last long. On the 2nd lap, he lost the front of his bike and crashed out.
Disaster for the Doctor
With his rival out, Valentino Rossi was allowed to take the lead. Unfortunately, due to what he called ‘a mistake’, the Doctor lost his bike one lap later than Dovi. This was the ultimate disaster for Rossi, who really needed the points to catch up to Marquez in the championship.
Rossi said: “It’s a great shame considering our great level of speed and competitiveness this weekend with our bike at this track…I think we had a good chance today, but with my mistake I threw away a lot of points. The distance, especially to Marquez, is quite big, but we need to continue working hard like this and try to be competitive also next time.”
Second place for Marquez
Marc Marquez walked away from MotoGP Assen with an impressive 20 points, finishing in second and taking the only predictable podium spot. He started in 4th in the second half and when Rossi and Dovi crashed, it became a free run for the championship hopeful.
When the ambitious Jack Miller passed him, Marquez didn’t attempt to retake the lead. There was no need for him to do so, and it looks like Marc has learned to play the long game and focus on the championship as a whole. He certainly didn’t do a typical Marquez! This pragmatic decision paid off as he has now solidified his position at the top of the table.
Marquez commented: “Today’s race was one of those in which you can either lose many points or gain them…When I saw Jack stalking behind me, I knew that he would be going for his first win so I preferred to let him pass…I did that because with Jorge so far back and Rossi out of the race, second place was as good as a victory.”
A bad day for Jorge Lorenzo
As for Jorge Lorenzo, this weekend did not go well. The reigning champion is now 24 points behind Marquez, and 18 points clear of Rossi. After struggling in the first half of MotoGP Assen, Lorenzo was forced to ride a safe but slow race. He finished in 10th place with just six points – but it’s better than the big fat zero that his rival Rossi took home!
Lorenzo said: “In the first race I was in 19th place and the last rider. I was even thinking about stopping because the conditions on the track were terrible…These are important points for the championship, in the first race I would not have scored any…we have to think positive and keep in mind that we still have a lot of races to recover the gap to Marquez.”
Looking forward to Germany…
There’s everything to ride for in the upcoming rounds. With so many champions vying for another title, this season is shaping up to be an exciting one for the fans! The next round is on the 17th of July, at Sachsenring in Germany. Let’s all hope for better weather…
How did the British riders do at MotoGP Assen?
If there’s one thing we Brits can handle, it’s a little rain! Scott Redding did us all proud in Assen, with a 3rd place finish. This was his second premier class podium, the first being Misano last year when he also took 3rd place.
Redding battled with Pol Espargaro for 3rd place after it was clear that Dovi and Rossi had fallen, and held his nerve to cross the line just under four seconds ahead! This was a triumphant victory for Octo Pramac Yakhnich and for British fans, and a great performance from Redding and his GP15 Ducati.
Scott explained how he did it: “It was hard to pass him [Espargaro]…Then I made the move and risked it. It paid off, I’m happy to be here in the podium after the crazy race out there.”
If you’ve been watching the season so far, maybe you can guess what happened to Cal Crutchlow. The unfortunate LCR Honda rider crashed out again in Assen – though it was obviously a problem with the conditions, this is the fourth DNF he has recorded this year.
Crutchlow was out in the first lap of the second half, but joked that ‘it always helps…when you crash on a day when Valentino crashes.’ If even Rossi can crash, then some of the heat is taken off Crutchlow’s performance. All joking aside, we will be holding out hope that Crutchlow manages to put in at least a few good races this season.
Bradley Smith took just 3 points away, finding himself down in 13th after his bike fell in the second half. Smith fell victim to the rain, just like many other riders, and fairer weather might boost his chances in the next round.
What did you make of the rain-soaked racing?
Let us know what you thought of the MotoGP Assen in the comments below. Are you crying into your yellow flag, rejoicing in our home-grown talent or open-jawed at Miller’s victory? Join the discussion and tell us what you think!
If you missed any of the action so far (or just want to relive the drama), then check out our Racing News section for all the latest MotoGP, BSB and Taz Taylor race reports. We’ll see you on the 18th July for our MotoGP Germany race report – auf wiedersehen for now!
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