So it begins; the 2018 MotoGP Assen is about to get underway. Fan favourite Valentino Rossi sits in third place, with Cal Crutchlow in 2nd and Marquez on pole. They are followed eagerly by Dovi, Rins and Vinales; great to see Maverick Vinales getting back to his usual form after a few tough races. With Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Ducati in the first two rows, which rider will get their machine into turn 1 first?
The 105,000 spectators are ready, the riders are ready, let’s go!
And so it begins!
The most noticeable appearance in the pack at the first corner is Jorge Lorenzo, coming up from 10th on the grid and moving into third at the first corner! The straight line power of the Ducati will no doubt help him every lap down the start/finish straight. His confidence doesn’t wane he begins to chase down Marquez for first place, a brilliant effort! Towards the end of the first lap, Lorenzo steals the inside line from Marquez, just sitting Marquez up and stealing first position. Marquez won’t take it sitting down and immediately tries to bite back but can’t quite make it stick.
The pack doesn’t seem to be breaking apart, with all riders gunning for the top spot. Despite initially being pushed back into 5th position at the start, Rossi is back up into third and chomping at the heels of Marquez. Up into turn 15 comes Marquez, who won’t take no for an answer. He dives back in under Lorenzo and grabs first position with both hands.
The two Suzuki’s are itching to get past Cal Crutchlow who has fallen into 5th position, with Alex Rins setting the fastest lap of the race so far. He makes an aggressive pass on Cal, not quite sitting him up but stealing the tarmac for under him. Lorenzo’s Ducati can grab back the distance that Marquez is trying to put between them. He capitalises and makes his move, stealing the inside line and claiming first position again.
Too close for comfort…
Rossi makes his move at the famed Timmer chicane, his favourite passing place and grabbing 2nd position! With 22 laps to go, there’s no clear winner here. Everyone wants a piece of the action! Rossi begins closing the gap on Lorenzo, trying to not let him take too much ground before the straight sections of the course. Without warning, Rossi rear ends Lorenzo! At a fast section of the course, at almost 150mph, Rossi smashes straight into the back of Lorenzo’s Ducati! Miraculously, both riders manage to stay upright and continue racing. That crash could have been so much worse! Upon closer inspection, it appears Lorenzo momentarily lost the front and let off the throttle. Tyre choice is definitely having an impact here at the 2018 MotoGP Assen.
After the clash of the two former teammates upfront, the group has closed up once again. Marquez smells blood and merciless beats Dovi out of his line to claim back third position. The chopping and changing of positions unbelievable. Marquez overtakes Rossi for 2nd, Dovi overtakes Rossi for 3rd, Dovi underneath Marquez for 2nd… It’s like watching a Moto3 race!
Alex Rins is making very good progress through the pack, already up into 4th place now and pushing the Doctor back into 5th. Moments later, he’s passed Dovi and secured third place! Are we sure it’s Rins in those leathers? Whatever they’ve done with his Suzuki, it’s working and working very well. He’s making some very close passes, maybe taking a leaf out of Marc Marquez’s book?
Rins and Marquez get a little close for comfort as Alex Rins almost takes Marquez off his bike! Rins just touches Marquez and takes his left hand and leg off the bike, but Marquez holds on to his bike and stays upright. He’s lost some places but he’s not out of the race. At the very same corner in the next lap Marquez pulls the same move back on Rins, sitting him up out his line and taking back third place.
Neck and neck…
While all the drama is happening behind him, Lorenzo has been comfortably leading this race. But tyre troubles are starting to unsettle the Ducati rider, with a few momentary wobbles showing grip to be an issue. Dovi, having kept great pace but reserved some tyre, passes his teammate into turn one, shortly followed by Marc Marquez.
Rossi and Vinales are fighting their own battle, swapping places back and forth, both wanting to hunt down Lorenzo and snatch a podium place. However, the Yamaha’s do appear to be struggling with acceleration here, despite their initial pace during qualifying. However, with the pack still close together, we definitely can’t rule out the Movistar Yamaha boys here at the 2018 MotoGP Assen!
The pack closes in once again, Lorenzo lunges up on Dovi and Vinales moves up into third place after passing Marquez! Trading places back and forth, it’s still anyone’s race. Whenever a change is made, it isn’t long before the riders exchange again. This is anyone’s race and the closest race I’ve seen in a long time! Marquez even has the speed to make two moves in one, moving from 4th to 2nd in one swift move!
It isn’t long before Maverick Vinales picks off his peers and tastes first place! Despite a big wobble, he keeps the throttle pinned open and leads up to the start/ finish straight. Unfortunately, the Repsol Honda is just too quick in a straight line as Marquez steals back the lead. Vinales won’t back down though, keeping pressure on Marquez before attempting an overtake that ultimately leads the pair of them wide! Dovi and Rossi seize the moment and move up into first and second! Rossi makes his favourite move at the Timmers chicane once again and takes the lead. The Yellow Army are going mental in the stands! With 5 laps to go, can he hold the lead?
Nailbiting in the Netherlands!
Rossi’s lead doesn’t last long unfortunately, as Marquez and Dovi shove the Doctor back down into third. With all the commotion, the pack regains composure and Rins and Crutchlow are back in 5th and 6th, closing in on a possible podium position. Rossi bites back for 2nd place but runs wide into the first corner, moving him back into 6th place. Alex Rins fights his way through and into third place behind Maverick Vinales and Marc Marquez. Marquez begins making his usual gap from the rest of the pack, racking up a 1.5 second lead.
As Marquez crosses the line for the win, a last minute move from Rins sees the Suzuki rider secure 2nd place and Vinales brings home a respectable third in undoubtedly the most exciting race of the season so far. It could have been anyone’s race here at the 2018 MotoGP Assen but ultimately, Marc Marquez seals the deal. Congratulations to all riders for a brilliant race! With two weeks until the next race, my fingernails can grow back in time for the German GP. How will they top it next time at the Sachsenring? See you next time!
Top Ten:
1) Marquez
2) Rins
3) Vinales
4) Dovizioso
5) Rossi
6) Crutchlow
7) Lorenzo
8) Zarco
9) Bautista
10) Miller
All photos courtesy of motogp.com
