Marquez wins stunning Assen battle

Few races are written immediately into the history books as the flag flies at the finish line, but the 2018 Dutch GP on July 1 will be one of them.

It was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) who emerged from the melee to take the win on the championship’s 70th visit to the track, after a classis battle that also involved Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha), Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati), Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol).

Rins and Viñales completed the podium, while Aussie Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati) was 10th.

JACK MILLER TALKS ABOUT ASSEN

It was Marquez’ 39th win in MotoGP, extending his advantage in the world standings to 41pts over Rossi.

FULL RESULTS HERE

“It was a crazy race, full of adrenaline – this feeling is one of the reasons we do this sport!” said Marquez.

“We were a wild bunch, everyone fighting against everyone; I think all of us made contact with somebody else at some point. We had to attack and defend, attack and defend. We had so many ‘big moments’ and risked crashing. It was crazy!

It was impossible to define the best strategy, impossible to make plans, so eventually I decided to just fight and see what we could do in the end. In the last three laps, I gave it everything, no matter the tyres, no matter the championship.

“Only when I saw I had more than one and a half seconds of advantage before the last lap did I think, Okay, we’ve got it, let’s just finish this lap. It was an important win and 25 very important points, but we need to keep going, keep pushing, and keep this same level.”

Marquez took the holeshot from pole, with Crutchlow initially on his tail from second on the grid until Lorenzo sliced through from 10th to second after another awe-inspiring launch. The Italian and Catalan GP winner didn’t wait long to strike for the lead either, attacking Marquez and the two side-by-side in a war of wills until Lorenzo edged ahead. Marquez hit back a lap later at turn 15, before Lorenzo repaid the favour once more. The duel was the first of many; an early taste of what was to come.

Rossi then made his first attack of the race at the final chicane, a first rehearsal, and set off after Lorenzo – with the Spaniard then suffering a moment soon after and Rossi smashing into the rear of the Ducati, unable to avoid him. But both stayed on and both stayed ahead, with Marquez, Dovizioso, Rins, Crutchlow and Viñales forming a train of riders fighting at the front.

Marquez took Rossi, Viñales took Crutchlow, Dovizioso took Rossi, Dovizioso took Marquez, Marquez struck back, Rins took Rossi and then Dovizioso…but Lorenzo held firm at the front. With eight riders within a second, from Lorenzo down to Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) at the back of the train, the touch paper was well and truly lit on an absolute classic.

The war continued before another bout of bigger drama with 15 laps to go as Rins attacked Marquez and the two were only a hair’s breadth apart – no contact, but the reigning champion suffered a big moment as he got back on the gas. That dropped him back off the lead, with Lorenzo chased by Rins and Dovizioso.

The Italian dueled his teammate for the lead soon after and Lorenzo began to drop back slightly, with Viñales then taking the lead for the first time with eight to go. Next time around Marquez had sliced back through into the lead, before the next lap saw both almost throw it all away as they dueled and both headed wide. Rossi took over – another stunner from the ‘Doctor’ at the final chicane – but ‘DesmoDovi’ took him back.

Four wide at times, Marquez made his way back into the lead …and that was all she wrote, for the lead at least. After one of the closest, most spectacular races in the history of the world’s oldest motorsport championship, the reigning champion was able to pull clear to take a stunning fourth win of the year – and increase his points lead.

The battle behind wasn’t over, however, and Viñales had pushed through to second before a last lap attack from Rins – with the Suzuki rider taking his second ever premier class rostrum. Viñales was forced to settle for third but back on the podium for the first time since Texas…and the fight for fourth showed why Rossi had been rehearsing.

The ‘Doctor’ left it late but lunged up the inside of Dovizioso into the famous Geert Timmer chicane on the final lap, and he was ahead – but ‘DesmoDovi’ took him back on the exit, getting such a good exit that the number 04 was almost on a par with Viñales over the line.

Marquez, Rins, Viñales, Dovizioso and Rossi were followed home by Crutchlow and Lorenzo, with Zarco, Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Ducati) and Miller completing the top 10 in one of the greatest races contested on two wheels.

For Rins, it was his best ever result in MotoGP. He said: “It was a fantastic battle and I learned a lot of things during the race. Our race pace was good and I was able to enjoy it! There were a lot of overtakes and tight moves, so I was always trying to push to stay with the others and hold my space.

“I feel very positive with my bike and with my team, we all really want to improve and win. We’ve had a really competitive bike since Qatar, but we’ve been able to change a few things to get extra power and better performance, so I hope I can stay at the top for the next races too. I feel confident for Sachsenring.”

Miller said he was “expecting a bit more” from Assen.

“It was a complicated weekend. I couldn’t find the right feeling but in the race I managed to finish in the top 10 and this is a good result. In Germany I want to do better,” Miller said.

The next round will be held in Sachsenring, Germany -- a circuit where Marquez has dominated -- from July 13-15.