* Novice
Francesco Bagnaia has won the Dutch MotoGP 2022 in Assen, with debutant Marco Bezzecchi celebrating his first royal class podium and that of the VR46 team and Maverick Vinales a debut grandstand with Aprilia.
Bagnaia’s victory was Ducati’s first in Assen since Casey Stoner in 2008.
Meanwhile, a dramatic race for world champion Fabio Quartararo saw the Frenchman fall twice, an early clash with title rival Aleix Espargaro followed by a nasty high side.
As always, it was crucial for Quartararo to try to lead as soon as possible because of the overtaking difficulties on the Yamaha combined with the usual temperature sensitivity of the front tires.
Related articles
But the young Frenchman could not beat the pole holder Bagnaia off the line, then ran slightly deviated at the exit of the first corner and fell fourth.
Quartararo quickly passed to Jorge Martin and Aleix Espargaro, but the Aprilia rider retaliated and the order remained Bagnaia, Espargaro and Quartararo during the early stages of the 26-lap race.
Perhaps growing anxious, Quartararo made an unusual thrust inside Espargaro at the fork of turn 5, but lost the front of his M1 and crashed into Espargaro, leaving the Frenchman on the ground and sending the Spaniard to through the gravel trap.
Related articles
Espargaro rejoined the 15th, with Quartararo 24th and last before a pit stop. The incident will be reviewed after the race.
But the drama is not over for Quartararo, who then arrives at the exit of the same turn 5, halfway through.
Quartararo’s clash with Espargaro gave Bagnaia a one-second lead over new nearest rival Marco Bezzecchi, with Martin returning to third place, followed by Maverick Vinales, Brad Binder and Jack Miller.
This order was maintained when the rain flags were suddenly raised when ten laps were left!
They were exactly the kind of tricky conditions Miller has often stood out in, and as Martin faded from the podium fight, the Australian – who had fallen to tenth place after serving an early long lap penalty – managed to get by. Binder’s fourth place with half a dozen laps to go.
Next on Miller’s goal list was Vinales, but an attempt to pass the chicane at the end of the penultimate lap made the number 43 widen and allowed Vinales, Quartararo runner-up for Yamaha in Assen the last season and winner in 2019, escape.
His teammate Espargaro made a brilliant comeback after the Quartararo incident, which culminated in a magnificent double pass over Brad Binder and Miller in the final chicane to snatch fourth place on the final lap!
The choice of tires favored the hard rear with Jack Miller (sixth on the grid), Johann Zarco (seventh) and Alex Rins (ninth) among eight riders to select the soft.
Most chose the middle striker with only Ducati riders Bagnaia, Miller, Enea Bastianini, Fabio di Giannantonio and Luca Marini on the soft front.
Like Miller, Franco Morbidelli also had to serve a long-lap penalty, having rolled twice slowly at the race line during Friday’s practice, but missed the window to do so and went receive a second sanction. Then it crashed. At the same time 5 as his teammate Quartararo.
Darryn Binder fell away from a sharp fall, while his rookie teammate Raul Fernandez retired to the pits with what appeared to be a sort of physical problem.
The summer break ends with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone from 5 to 7 August.