MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix 2016: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders
Marc Marquez travels to Assen this weekend hoping a victory at the 2016 Dutch Grand Prix can extend his cushion at the MotoGP summit, with Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi tight on the leader's heels.
The Spaniard hasn't won a race since placing first at the Grand Prix of the Americas back in April, but thankfully for him, consistency has been a rare commodity among just about all MotoGP riders this season.
Rossi is the current Dutch champion and wrested Marquez's Netherlands title off him last season after a fierce head-to-head between the pair, and he's hoping to seal back-to-back wins 12 months later.
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Read on for a preview of the weekend's timetable leading into Sunday's race, complete with a preview of which top riders to keep an eye on.
| Saturday, May 21 | 8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. | Free Practice 3 |
| Saturday, May 21 | 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m. | Free Practice 4 |
| Saturday, May 21 | 1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m. | Qualifying 1 |
| Saturday, May 21 | 1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. | Qualifying 2 |
| Sunday, May 22 | 1 p.m. | Race |
Live streaming can be found atย theย BTย Sport websiteย (UK),ย beINย Sports CONNECTย (U.S.) or FuboTV (U.S.).
Valentino Rossi
The Doctor makes his way back to Assen this weekend, hoping he's got the correct formula to achieve a feat he has managed just once before in his career and win successive Dutch Grand Prix crowns.
Rossi won back-to-back titles in the Netherlands back in 2004 and 2005, and he gave off a very positive review leading into Sunday's duel as he hounds down Marquez's lead, per Crash.net:ย
"I'm happy because from when we come back to Europe, I was always strong, form Jerez to Barcelona. Unfortunately, in Mugello we lost some important points, but anyway we were fast.
"
We have to try to continue like this and Assen is one of the best tracks during the season and one of my favourites. It is also very good for a lot of riders because it is a great track and I think last year was one of the best weekends for me. I was able to win after a battle with Marc and also during the weekend I was strong, starting from the pole position.ย
But every year is different and we arrive with a different tyre to understand and we have to be strong from the beginning and understand our potential.
As aforementioned, it was a tense faceoff with Marquez that pushed Rossi to the limit in last year's race before he emerged with first-place honours, as shown by BT Sport MotoGP:
With seven MotoGP victories in Assen, Rossi is the most decorated rider in Dutch Grand Prix historyโand that's including the 500cc class before the top tier of riding became known as MotoGP.
With 22 points currently separating him from the top spot, the 37-year-old can not only tighten the title race but also advance his own legacy in Holland after clinching his second win of the year in Catalonia.
Marc Marquez
Of course, standings leader Marquez will be one of the main stars to watch out for in Assen as he brings a 10-point lead over Lorenzo to the TT Circuit.
Now 23 years of age and slightly more humble after finishing third in the championship standings last season, Marquez assured reporters everything is still to ride for this season, per the official MotoGP Twitter account:
The Spanish youngster is again making strides at the top of the standings, and despite failing to win a race in two months, he has managed to podium in three of his last four outings.
What's more, Marquez is one of only three riders in the standings' top 10 who is yet to retire from a single race this season, just the second time in his four years in MotoGp that he's managed to do so.
Marquez blazed to victory at Assen in 2014 and was right in the mix to repeat the feat in 2015, a track record that suggests he'll certainly be among the contenders to clinch another Dutch title this Sunday.
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