-
Last night’s MotoGP race won by Marc Marquez was considered by many as one of the best MotoGP races yet.
-
Almost 10 riders fought in the front group and there were too many overtaking and dramatic events to count.
-
Marc Marquez crossed the chequered flag in first place followed by Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).
Those of us who were fortunate enough to watch the Motul TT Assen MotoGP round last night can agree with one thing; the battles were incredible! Almost ten riders were fighting in the front group for podium contention which ended in Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez winning the epic race.
The last thing we expected was an eight-way fist Moto3-style fight between the top factory riders plus a couple of satellite riders and like how Marquez said it, “ It was everybody fighting everybody!” It was hard to keep up with who’s doing what with all the screaming from Valentino Rossi launching his Yamaha M1 to the back of Jorge Lorenzo’s Ducati Desmosedici to the Marquez’s overtaking manoeuvre which led to a three-way drag race between the Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati.
And that was not she wrote, folks. Overtaking manoeuvres happened throughout the race like fireworks going off non-stop and many expected Jorge Lorenzo to take home his third consecutive win on the Ducati. He almost did when he led the first 18 laps before getting picked off by other riders.
There were too many moments to count but one of the most breathtaking events was when Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins overtook Marquez in the second half of the race. Although there was no contact, Marquez almost lost control of his Honda RC213V which resulted in him dropping down a few spots.
Everyone was bringing their best game to the race and at the end of it all, the podium was filled with Marc Marquez standing on top of the podium followed by Alex Rins and Maverick Vinales. The all-Spaniard finish has everyone something to celebrate; Marquez increasing his lead in the 2018 championship, Rins with his best finish yet on the Suzuki GSX-RR and Vinales back on the podium after a long drought.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) managed to fend off Valentino Rossi from taking fourth by outsmarting him during his favourite overtaking manoeuvre in the last three corners. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) crossed the finish line in P6 followed by Jorge Lorenzo, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team), and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing).
Our homeboy Hafizh Syahrin seemed to have struggled a bit in Assen where he only managed to finish the race in P18. There were many factors that affected his performance but he is still in the running for the 2018 MotoGP Rookie of the Year with only 2 points separating him and Marc VDS’ Franco Morbidelli.
The 2018 championship is now led comfortably by Marquez with 140 points followed by Rossi with 99 points and Maverick Vinales with 93 points. The boys will be at it again in two weeks’ time at the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland in Sachsenring, Germany from 13 to 15 July 2018.
Image source: MotoGP
