MotoGP Netherlands: Miller wins sensational Dutch TT at Assen
Australia's Jack Miller became the first satellite rider to win a MotoGP race in 10 years as the Aussie se♑aled a sensational victory in the rain-affected Dutch TT at Assen.
The rꦕace was restarted over 12 laps aꦫfter being stopped initially on lap 15 due to adverse weather conditions, with heavy rain lashing the circuit.
Repsol 🌄Honda's Marc Marquez sealed second place to extend his lead at the top of the championship after title rival Valentino Rossi slid out of the lead🦋, while Jorge Lorenzo struggled to 10th place.
Marc VDS Honda rider Miller becomes the first satellite winner of a MotoGP race since Toni Elias clinched victory in Portugal iꦡn 2006.
Britain'ꦆs Scott Redding reeled in and passed Pol Espargaro on the penultimate lap to snatch a brilliant third place on the Pramac Ducati, putting two satellite machines onto the podium.
A host of riders were caught out by the conditions, including Dani Pedrosa, Cal Crutchlow, Andrea 😼Dovizioso, Bradley Smith, Aleix Espargaro and Alvaro Bautista.
Marquez now leads the championship by 24 points from Lorenzo after eight rounds൲, with Rossi 42 points behind the Honda rider in third.
The grid for Race 2 was based on positions at the end of lap 14 in the initial race, with Dovizioso on pole f🔯or Ducati from Danilo Petrucci and Rossi, while Redding, Marquez and Pedrosa filled row two💧.
Marquez had made a flying start from the second row but ran wide at turn 1, with Rossi powering ꦜinto the lead and beginning to pull away on the factory M1 as the track remained wet.
However, disaster struck for last year's Dutch TT winner, who slid out at turn 10 on the fourth lap, leaviꦐng Repsol Honda's Marquez to take ꦺover.
Suzuki's Aleix Espargaro ran into the gravel at turn 1 after contact was made with Iannone. The Spaniard's race later ended on lap four when he went down a💞t turn 4.
Pedrosa's miserable weekend was compounded when he came off at turn 9 on the opening lap, with British rider Cal Crutchlow suffering the same fate at turn 1൲2 on the LC🙈R Honda.
By lap three, Rossi appeared to be settling into his rhythm in the lead with Marquez holding second place, although the Honda rider was now in Miller's sights. Redding had made eye-catching progress on the Pramac Ducati as he moved up to fourth ൩after running as low as 11th on the opening lap.
Dovizioso, who had been in contention for victory in the original race, saw his hopes ended by a crash on lap two at turn 12, with Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider Smith sliding 💦out at turn 15.ꦫ Smith re-joined the race and eventually finished 13th and last.
There was huge disappointment for Pramac Ducaౠti's Petrucci, who stoppeꦛd with a problem on the second lap.
There was more drama when Rossi's tumble on lap four drew gasps from the huge crowd at Assen, with Miller powering through to take the lead with a move on Marquez's inside at the fiꦕnal chicane.
Miller gradually began to put✨ daylight between himself and Marq🉐uez, while Pol Espargaro was on the move as he slotted into third on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha.
Redding, though, was on a𝕴 charge and rapidly bridged the gap to Espargaro, snatching third place on the penultimate lap on the brakes into turn 1.
Miller had now established a com🌃fortable advantage of 2.5 seconds at the front over Marquez, who appeared content to settle for second place.
Redding quickly broke clear of Espargaro, while Andrea Iannone - who had to start from the back of the grid in the initial race✃ after incurring a penalty for colliding with Lorenzo at Catalunya - was holding fifth.
The Italian rider lined up in seventhꦯ place in the res𒅌tarted race and made the most of his second chance after he was among the fallers in the first race.
Aprilia's Alvaro Bautista had been lying in a superb sixth place until he crashed out on ✨the final lap, with Hector Barbera sealing the position on🥀 the Avintia Ducati.
Ireland's Eugene Laverty scored more solid points on the Aspar Ducati in seventh ahead of Stefan Bradl (Aprilia), with thꦕe top ten completed by Maverick Vinales on the Ecstar Suzuki and reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Driving rain had forced the first race to be stopped on lap 15, when 💫Dovizioso was the race leader on the last completed lap (14) from the luckless Petrucci and Rossi. Redding had been holding fourth position at that point ahead of Honda pair Marqu൩ez and Pedrosa.
Colombian Yonny Hernandez had been clea🧜r at the front on the Aspar Ducati but crashed on lap 11 at turn 1 and was forced to pull into the pits and switch to his second bike. Hernandez then came off again before the race was stopped, leaving him unable to participate in Race 2, which saw only 13 finishers.
Dutch TT1.Jack Miller2.Marc Marquez3.Scott Redding4.Pol Espargaro5.Andrea Iannone6.Hector Barbera7.Eugene Laverty8.Stefan Bradl9.Maverick Vi?ales10.Jorge Lorenzo11.Tito Rabat12.Dani Pedrosa13.Bradley Smith
Alvaro Bautista
Michele Pirro
Valentino Rossi
Aleix Espargaro
Andrea Dovizioso
Danilo Petrucci
Cal Crutchlow
Yonny Hernandez
