MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix 2015: Valentino Rossi wins after clash with Marc Marquez in final corner

Rossi wins from pole for first time since 2009

Valentino Rossi celebrates his victory during the Dutch MotoGP race in Assen (GETTY IMAGES)

Having silenced critics by winning pole position in qualifying, nine times world champion Valentino Rossi led from the first corner for 19 laps of the 26-lap race. With Marc Marquez hot on his heels, they swapped places in the last seven laps culminating with a clash in the final chicane as Marquez attempted to take the lead on the inside, pushing Rossi onto the gravel and forcing him to cut the corner but win the race 1.242 seconds ahead of the Spaniard. The last time Rossi won a race from pole position was in San Marino in 2009.

At the dry circuit known as the Cathedral of Speed to the Dutch, the race is Rossi’s 111th win in his career and widens the gap to teammate Jorge Lorenzo who is now ten points behind. For the defending world champion however, taking second place in the race today Marquez moves up in the standings to fourth place, now 74 points from Rossi.

On his third win of the season, Rossi said: “I have been competitive all weekend, I started from pole and pushed all through the race, my pace is strong but Marc comes with me. I did a fantastic penultimate lap, but Marc recovered and on the last corner I was already in the chicane when he touched me. I went through the gravel and managed to keep control, I am happy with my advantage to Jorge, 25 points is important for championship”

The 22-year-old Spaniard Marquez changed to the 2014 chassis on his Honda RC213V this weekend and after qualifying on the front row of the grid, got a great start to the race and quickly moved into second place immediately hunting Rossi to the chequered flag.

Marquez said: “Finally I feel confident again and I feel happy this weekend to come back. I had the pace to win and I did a good job. In the last corner I did the right thing to win the race, but in the end Vale won. I am happy to be back on podium, but I would like to come back in first. We will see how we manage the Sachsenring”

Repsol Honda teammate and compatriot Dani Pedrosa suffered a crash in Warm-Up this morning, damaging his left hand with contusions on his thumb and middle finger. In good spirits before the race, he started from fourth on the grid, but fell to twelfth in the first lap and had to battle through a compact crowd between fifth and twelfth places, finishing in eighth place behind Oxfordshire rider Bradley Smith on his Tech 3 Yamaha.

A lonely race for Jorge Lorenzo on his Yamaha YZR-M1, he started from eighth position on the grid and fought quickly to third place behind Rossi and Marquez, but within the opening laps was unable to keep the pace of the front duo, who soon put more than three seconds between them, over eight seconds by the end of the race.

Lorenzo said: “It’s a good result, it was difficult from eighth place. I got good start and a good first lap battling with lots of riders. I didn’t have the pace of Vale and Marc, and had to not drop so much pace and to save third place”

Behind the Spaniard, the two factory Ducati’s of Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso were battling in fourth and fifth position until Dovizioso began to lose ground and eventually the fifth place to Brit rider Cal Crutchlow with nine laps to go. Crutchlow slipped one position though to Pol Espargaro and ultimately crossed the line in sixth place as leading Brit.

In a very close Moto3 race, British rider Danny Kent fought at the front and won the third step of the podium extending his lead in the standings to 57 points to Bastianini.

Kent said: “With the strong headwinds, it was a hard battle, we weren’t as strong into the last corner, we do want to win races but am happy with the podium as we want to win the championship and importantly, I’ve managed to extend my lead”

The most dramatic finish was Niklas Ajo, who highsided in the last corner, yet managed to hold onto the handlebars of his KTM and cross the line alongside his bike, being dragged along the tarmac on both knees.

The next MotoGP race is from Sachsenring Germany, on Sunday 10th July. Watch BTSport2 for all the action.