Today’s Assen MotoGP race saw the riders start on wet weather tires. The track began to dry for several laps before a torrential downpour brought out a red flag with 12 laps remaining.
After a lengthy break, the riders completed the race after gridding in accordance with their positions at the end of the first 14 laps. This put Andrea Dovizioso, once again, on pole for the short sprint with Danillo Petruchi and Valentino Rossi filling out the front row. Rossi rode well early on during this segment, but crashed out with several laps remaining.
A hard charging Jack Miller passed Marc Marquez for the lead roughly half way through the 12 lap event and held on for the win.
Miller’s win was his first at the MotoGP level, while Scott Redding filled out the podium behind Marquez. Marquez stretches his lead in the championship. For additional details, results and points, visit the official MotoGP site. Here are the results for the finishing racers.
| Pos. | Num. | Rider | Team | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 43 | Jack MILLER | Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 22’17.447 |
| 2 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +1.991 |
| 3 | 45 | Scott REDDING | OCTO Pramac Yakhnich | Ducati | +5.906 |
| 4 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | +9.812 |
| 5 | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | Ducati Team | Ducati | +17.835 |
| 6 | 8 | Hector BARBERA | Avintia Racing | Ducati | +18.692 |
| 7 | 50 | Eugene LAVERTY | Aspar Team MotoGP | Ducati | +22.605 |
| 8 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | +23.603 |
| 9 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | +26.148 |
| 10 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | +27.604 |
| 11 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | +1’21.830 |
| 12 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +1’54.369 |
| 13 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 3 Laps |
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What a great race! I prefer the dry racing, but it is somewhat of an equalizer, racing in the wet. I was surprised to see Rossi go down, and once again when he could not start his bike. I would be curious why it would not start. Looked like he was on his way to a win. Still a lot of racing to go….
why on earth would the best riders in the world be bested by rain? One would think they and their bikes are adaptable….this always perplexes me
Because they’re facing the best riders in the world and trying to beat them. They’re always riding at or near the limit anyway, and the addition of a wet surface reduces the margin for error even more.
If it had only been Jack Miller behind him, i.e., someone not involved in the championship fight, Rossi doesn’t keep pushing to find the limit of grip. He doesn’t fall. He cruises safely home, as did Marquez. Because it was the championship leader behind him, Rossi was pushing harder, and he exceeded the available grip.
Dry weather racing and wet racing are like apples and oranges.
Its kind of like the equivalent of a batter in baseball supposed to be able to hit both
a fastball and a curveball equally well, but most batters excel on one style of pitch and struggle with the other.
They are expected to be able to do both equally well, but they never do.
Same in motorcycle racing. Two totally different styles of racing, two totally different approaches, the goal still remains the same. Not an easy feat for anyone to accomplish. That’s why only the best of the best get to participate…
I’m not an expert on this by any means, but here is my opinion:
The alien powers of being able to brake deeper and harder to the apex and get on the gas fiercer and sooner are rendered useless in the rain. Same with the guys that just seem to be able to carry more corner speed into a turn than should be possible. Rain on the track is like slipping kryptonite into the leathers of the resident fast guys. That extra 2% they have that makes them rise above the rest can’t be employed in the rain. The braking, acceleration and corner speeds are taking to levels that are accessible by everyone at that level of racing. People call rain the “great equalizer,” but I think it is more accurate to call it the “great dumb-it downer.”
The most obvious thing though is that Miller, Redding, Hernandez and most of those other guys had everything to gain and nothing to lose by pushing the envelope. They can afford to throw caution to the wind.
That’s how I see it as well. Admittedly there is a specialized skill set to racing in the rain, with Ayton Senna being a great example, but the “alien skills” tend to show up in perfect conditions, where they are able to extract that last little bit of performance that the merely great riders cannot find.
To me, rain races are a lot like motocross… they still take a lot of skill to win, but they aren’t what I look for in motorcycle racing.
thats not entirely true, if it were the norm youd see guys who never make podiums always in contention for a win whenever it rains. how often do you see that. yes rain makes for difficult racing but still its usually the same front runners running at the front in the rain as the dry. the Assen race was a freak win for Miller, and Rossi’s fall also a freak occurrence, he is usually good in both conditions.
Miller showed he deserves his place in the premier class. He maintained concentration right till the end, and only very talented, mentally tough riders can do that. I think he’s learning that a cool head is what it takes to get on the podium.
“Right place, Right time”.
That’s what Hayden and Edwards might be mumbling to themselves tomorrow?
When the circumstances are forgotten, he’ll still be the MotorGP Champion Assen 2016 for ever, and good luck for him too. So many others would have an attack of the nerves with MM just 2.5 seconds behind him in second place and lost concentration.
And did Rossi have his rear red light on at the beginning of the race 1 or did it just fail? I assume the bloke with the red flag checks for all that stuff ?
Man, …. By reading these posts it seems I missed a great race.
Although I’ m a 46 fan, my next favotite rider is always an under dog!
… Even if was because of the weather.
Another great Assen race. This may be just what Jack Miller needed to get his career restarted. I had thought they shouldn’t have brought him up to the big show so soon but today he showed real racecraft skill. That and MM didn’t want to to throw away 20 points.
It was a rain race, and half the field crashed. Don’t put too much stock in it.
The current world champ didnt crash nor did Marquez who Miller go past and beat fairly and squarley.
Wise man says “to finish first, first you must finish”
Rain is a great equaliser especially when you are on a non factory bike.
i fully concur with your concurrence…
That’s all well and good, and if Young Jack can somehow conjure up a decent rainstorm each race weekend he may just have a nice little career in MotoGP.
Otherwise, not so much.
I’ve read that Jack is in a planned development year. They didn’t even use traction control devices on his bikes in the pre-season.
They brought him straight up from Moto3. They must see something special. That he was able to win in any circumstance proves them right, I think. I wonder if he’ll be getting more help from HRC going forward ?
True, he may have to settle for being the next Anthony West but sometimes it just takes a win like this to get a rider believing that he really can run up front. The differences in talent between the “Aliens” and the down pack MotoGP riders is really not that much. In most dry races, no one, including Jack, gets lapped. That’s impressive especially when you watch any US Superbike or Supersport race and see the leaders start slicing through backmarkers after 3 or 4 laps. If you paid any attention to him in Moto3 you know Miller has the potential to be a star as does the current tiddler phenom Brad Binder. I just think they brought him up too soon by skipping a season or two in Moto2.
Miller didn’t beat Marquez, Marquez let Miller win. The backmarkers have nothing to lose and can go all out in a race like this. They know the points leaders aren’t going to push it too much. That said, it was a great run by Miller. He was fast and managed to stay upright,and that is something that half of the field couldn’t manage to do.
I’m really not stalking you, but I disagree with this post as much as I agreed with the other one.
Jack beat Marc. Whether it was due to the rain, or Rossi’s crash, or Marc’s decision to stay upright, Jack still won the race. Marc didn’t pull over and stop riding. He stayed in the race to the end, and beat all the other riders.
I’m not a fan of Miller, but the win was legit, and should be recognized as such.
I mostly agree with your perspective on this, and my intent was not to imply that Miller’s win was not legitimate. Many races – dry and wet – are won by riders who take greater risks at one or several points in the race than the guy(s) they beat. Miller deserved the win because he did just that. It isn’t like Marquez had the win in the bag and then just waved Miller though on the last lap. I get that.
My point really wasn’t about Miller vs. Marquez but about the dynamics of a wet race in general with respect to championship contenders and the guys who have nothing to lose. Marquez had his eye on the championship, Miller had his eye on the top spot of the podium. I guess what I am really trying to say is that they were on the same track, but they weren’t running the same race. Miller won that race and ran it as though Marquez were all over his back tire – it was earned, deserved and legitimate.
And while (to me) that still doesn’t mean he beat Marquez, I’m certainly not claiming that Miller would have lost had Marquez chosen to engage.
Rossi probably wins at Mugello if his motor doesn’t grenade, and now this. Man….
Congratulations to your 2016 MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez.
Next race is the half season mark…Lotta racing left dude..
In order for Marquez to lose this thing now, he will need to DNF a minimum of two times, and that’s assuming Rossi and Lorenzo suffer no more DNFs the rest of the way.
Not likely, on either count.
Rossi has the speed to win the title this year. More often than not, he’s been faster than Lorenzo and Marquez. Luck just hasn’t been with him, while it continues to shine brightly on #93.
And so it goes.
Rossi won a lot of titles when luck was shining more on him than the rest of the field combined. everyone has their time, and he certainly had his.
no one stays on top forever. as i thought years ago, 2009 will be his last championship…
While I agree with you that it looks good for Marquez to win the title this year, I’m not sure it’s in the bag just yet. He and Lorenzo are 24 points apart. If Jorge wins next time out and Marquez DNFs, it’s game on again.
Wow! I can’t believe it, for the first time since 2006, Miller didn’t crash out of a race!
So much for that demotion to Moto2 I thought he needed..looks like he’s here to stay..
I think this is his first and last premier class win.
The way things are now, I think you could say the same about anyone not headed for a factory Honda or Yamaha (or maybe Ducati).
You have been following his career since he was 12??? Thats cmmitment!! 🙂
Absolutely spectacular race. A nail biter almost to the end.
Rossi’s time may be over. In smarter/younger/hungrier times, he might more likely have taken a breath, let up just a little, and been happy with 3rd behind MM, and 15 points instead of DNF/no points.
It likely takes a few bad breaks now for MM to lose this Championship. Sad for Dani Pedrosa. My affection for him lately grew, but his Championship chances seem to wane as the years pass by.
Barring unforeseen circumstance, considering MM’s age, if I had to bet, I’d say he equals or exceeds Rossi’s Nine Championships before MM hangs up his leathers. Have to admit he’s growing on me too. At 2014 COTA MotoGP, a fan said to me about MM: “Everyone loves a winner…” This isn’t like team sports you follow because you live in a certain city.
There is absolutely no way Marquez will ever equal Rossi’s record. Losing last year pettyuch shows he’ll never be able to string together a multi year run needed to do it.
Besides, the only story this week is a non-alien winning. This hasn’t happened more than a.couple of.times in the past 15 years
Seems like you’re reading a lot into one mistake by Rossi (who, btw, was never behind Marquez in this race, at least as far as I can recall). Wouldn’t swear to it, but think I read that every single rider crashed at least once this weekend.
Provologna, why on earth would Rossi have been happy with third place behind Marquez? He was faster most of the weekend and faster in both portions of the race, and he arrived at Assen trailing Marc in the championship. This was not a weekend to consolidate his position, especially with Lorenzo deciding to take the race off.
Nope, this was Rossi’s race to win. He knew he had the measure of #93 today, and he dearly wanted the twenty-five points. It was all there for him.
As always, though, shite happens.
‘Twas pure speculation. I don’t really know anything.
One thing we all seem to agree on, the race was fun, thrilling, and interesting.
Congrats to Miller. Was great to share his joy and shock in the win, so rare on so many levels. First non-factory win in a decade, first X (forgot) in five years. He must be drained even now.
Was a kick, too, to see MM have so much joy and celebration in his second place, as if he won the Championship. As some have posted including me, maybe yesterday at Assen did indeed seal his #3 MotoGP Championship.
105k spectators! Wow! We think the SB is a big deal here, but that race was not even for the Championship!
It really needs to be said that the video and announcing quality at MotoGP is beyond reproach. It’s superb value, and I can not more highly recommend it (no affiliation).
That was like the TV show Survivor… The favorites all get voted ( lowside) off the island (track) and someone you never expect comes on to win lol
That Miller kid sure was deservedly happy and he can pull one heck of a stand up wheelie
its a switch on the handlebar, press it and you can do a stand up wheelie all day long.
part of the Moto GP electronics suite, lol
We need rain more often, seems to level the playing field.
just nice to see a different face up there every few years, instead of the same two guys and Rossi on occasion winning everything…
that, race, was, EPIC!
that race, was, EPIC!
Sunday Bloody Sunday