Photography by Gold & Goose
Valentino Rossi scored his 85th MotoGP victory Saturday in front of 97,000 fans at the historic Dutch TT in Assen and it will go down as one of the most memorable races in MotoGP history. The race came down to the final turn. Defending champion Marc Marquez made an inside pass move on Rossi, the two made shoulder-to-shoulder contact bumping Rossi wide and through the edge of a gravel trap. However Rossi stayed on the gas of his MoviStar Yamaha the whole time and somehow managed to hold off Marquez to score a stunning victory as he wheelied across the line.
It was easily the most intense finish ever between the veteran 36-year-old Italian and his 22-year-old Spaniard rival.
Marquez was not thrilled with how the last turn played out, claiming Rossi cut the final corner. Rossi replied that he was already established in the corner, pushed wide when touched by Marquez and had no choice but to run off the track.
It was the third win of the season for Rossi and pushed his lead in the championship over Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo back to 10 points. Lorenzo finished a distant third, 13.3 seconds back.
Andrea Iannone took home fourth with Pol Espargaro taking a thrilling firth after a race long battle with sixth-place Cal Crutchlow and a handful of others who challenged for the position. Bradley Smith was seventh followed by Dani Pedrosa, Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales rounding out the top 10.
Marquez went back to his 2014 chassis on his factory Repsol Honda in effort to get a better feel. He also gambled with a medium front tire compound, while the other top contenders, including Rossi, went with soft fronts.
Rossi nailed a great start from pole. Marquez emerged in second and Lorenzo was charging through the field, getting by both Espargaro brothers to get into third early, so it was the two championship leaders and the defending series champ up front battling.
Hector Barber and Jack Miller crashed out early.
Up front the race settled in with Rossi and Marquez running inline in first and second, with Lorenzo a tad back in third.
Stefan Bradl was the next faller five laps in.
Up front Rossi and Marquez began to gap Lorenzo. The Ducati of Iannone ran a lonely fourth. There was a great multi-rider battle for fifth with Dovizioso leading Crutchlow heading a big freight train all the way back to Vinales in 12th. On lap 16 it was Crutchlow making a classic Assen pass to move past Dovi for fifth.
As the race wound down it appeared Marquez was content to sit his Honda on Rossi’s Yamaha’s tailpipe and wait to make a move. Lap after lap Rossi was expertly taking away any line Marquez might use for a pass, still the pressure was relentless. But it was Marc Marquez after all and you knew he was going to give it a go at some point.
That point came with seven laps to go braking into turn one. Marquez pulled out of Rossi’s slipstream and outbraked his rival into the turn to take over the lead for the first time. It was a brilliant overtaking maneuver.
Marquez put his head down, upped the pace and tried to open a gap and turned his best lap of the race. After a lap at record speed he took a quick glance back to see if he’d pulled a gap, but there was Rossi right there looking back at him.
With three laps to go it was Rossi’s turn for a beautiful move. He shot to the inside of a fast braking right turn to take over the lead. Marquez instantly responded and pulled back alongside, but Rossi was able to hold the line. Fans stood to cheer the battle.
For a moment it appeared Rossi had broken free, but Marquez pulled out a brilliant final lap to get in the position to attempt a pass. Then it came down to the contentious final turn and the bump by Marquez and track cut by Rossi.
Marquez was still not conceding defeat in Parc fermé after the race.
“This final corner always happens this thing,” Marquez said of the layout of the last set of turns that often leads to tight passes and runoffs. “It was tight, was tight. I think I did a good job because I gained the position and I was inside, but when Valentino saw that, create a touch and then he cut the corner. But OK, we will see what happen now. But I was happy to come back on the podium, but of course I would like to come back first because I think I did a good last lap.”
Rossi of course saw things a bit differently.
“This one was very important because I was competitive for all the weekend and I start from the pole position,” said Rossi, who earned his third victory of the season. “I push a lot for all the race and my pace was very strong, but Marquez come with me. So with him I know it’s always difficult on the last lap. So I tried to ride harder and I do the two last laps very strong. After then Marc tried to entry in the chicane, but I was already into the corner and touch me and I have to cut. So 25 points very important, but especially a great victory here at Assen.”
American Nicky Hayden came back after a sub-par qualifying in 22nd to finish the race in 16th on his Aspar Honda, one position away from of a championship point.
Round nine in two weeks will be at the Sachsenring in Germany on July 12. That will be the final European GP before a summer break then the series swing back to America and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 9.
Results of Dutch TT at Assen MotoGP – June 27, 2015
1 25 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 173.2 40’54.037
2 20 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 173.1 +1.242
3 16 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 172.2 +14.576
4 13 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Ducati Team Ducati 171.8 +19.109
5 11 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 171.5 +24.268
6 10 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR CWM LCR Honda Honda 171.5 +24.373
7 9 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 171.5 +24.442
8 8 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 171.5 +24.656
9 7 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 171.3 +26.725
10 6 25 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 171.3 +27.238
11 5 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 171.2 +29.038
12 4 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 171.1 +29.418
13 3 45 Scott REDDING GBR EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 170.0 +46.663
14 2 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 169.8 +49.305
15 1 76 Loris BAZ FRA Athinà Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 169.6 +52.396
16 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Aspar MotoGP Team Honda 169.3 +56.005
17 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 169.1 +59.857
18 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Avintia Racing Ducati 168.1 +1’14.513
19 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 165.8 1 Lap
Not Classified
15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM E-Motion IodaRacing Team ART 168.2 3 Laps
50 Eugene LAVERTY IRL Aspar MotoGP Team Honda 169.2 11 Laps
6 Stefan BRADL GER Athinà Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 168.7 21 Laps
Not Finished 1st Lap
8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Racing Ducati 0 Lap
43 Jack MILLER AUS CWM LCR Honda Honda 0 Lap
