MotoGP™: Marquez and Repsol Honda Team/Michelin win incredible Motul TT Assen

Marc Marquez claimed his fourth victory of the year at the 2018 MotoGPTM World Championship’s eighth clash at Assen, Netherlands. The Spaniard was joined on the podium by Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki Team/Michelin) and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP/Michelin) after the season’s most exciting race to date. 

Six different riders representing four bikemakers took turns at the top of the Motul TT Assen leaderboard to keep spectators enthralled all the way to the chequered flag.

Lap 1 saw pole-winner Marquez (medium and soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear) lose command to Jorge Lorenzo but the reigning champion then led for the next two laps before falling back and relinquishing top spot to his Ducati Team/Michelin rival (soft and hard MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear).

The Majorcan, who won the championship’s recent visits to Mugello and Barcelona, remained in control up to the 14th of the afternoon’s 26 laps but eventually succumbed to the pressure exerted by Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team/Michelin), Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP/Michelin), Viñales and Rins.

With the exception of the latter, the leading pack traded the lead several times before Marquez emerged in first place for good with four laps to go. He then took advantage of the scrap for the other podium places to pull clear and secure his fourth success of the campaign.

Rins squeezed Viñales out of second spot through the final turn to notch up his second top-three finish of 2018, while the Yamaha rider held on to third place to beat Dovizioso and Rossi.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda/Michelin), Lorenzo, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3/ Michelin), Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team/Michelin) and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing/Michelin) rounded out the top 10.

The top 15 finishers were blanketed by just 16.043 seconds, the closest result in MotoGPTM history.

Four of the six available tyre specifications were selected for the race. Eleven riders, including Rins, opted for medium and hard MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear, while eight others – including Marquez and Viñales - chose a medium front and soft rear. Lorenzo started on a soft front and hard rear.

Marquez has naturally gone even further clear at the top of the provisional points table on 140 points, ahead of Rossi (99) and Viñales (93).

Next round: German Grand Prix, Sachsenring (July 13-15, 2018).