MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix 2015 Results: Winner, Standings and Reaction

Valentino Rossi edged out world champion Marc Marquez in a thrilling Dutch Grand Prix in Assen to claim his third victory of the 2015 season. BT Sport MotoGP revealed the winner at the line:

Jorge Lorenzo came into the race as the man to beat, having won the last four grands prix on the spin, but it was Marquez and pole rider Rossi who put together a remarkable tussle for the crown, with the Italian emerging on top.

Rossi had been looking over his shoulder in the World Championship standings after Lorenzo’s spell of good form, but the victory in the Netherlands gives him back some breathing space. Fans’ favourite Lorenzo eventually came home in third, as we see below:

Pos.	Rider	Time/Gap
1	Valentino ROSSI	40'54.037
2	Marc MARQUEZ	+1.242
3	Jorge LORENZO	+14.576
4	Andrea IANNONE	+19.109
5	Pol ESPARGARO	+24.268
6	Cal CRUTCHLOW	+24.373
7	Bradley SMITH	+24.442
8	Dani PEDROSA	+24.656
9	Aleix ESPARGARO	+26.725
10	Maverick VINALES	+27.238
11	Danilo PETRUCCI	+29.038
12	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	+29.418
13	Scott REDDING	+46.663
14	Yonny HERNANDEZ	+49.305
15	Loris BAZ	+52.396
16	Nicky HAYDEN	+56.005
17	Alvaro BAUTISTA	+59.857
18	Mike DI MEGLIO	+1'14.513
19	Marco MELANDRI	1 Lap

Despite Rossi’s brilliance this season, the Dutch Grand Prix was the first time he’d claimed pole position in a race, and he took full advantage by storming out of the traps.

The Italian just about beat Aleix Espargaro to T1 and looked in imperious form over the opening laps.

However, it wasn’t long before the Assen race started to take shape, with MotoGP’s big three leading the pack—as Crash.net revealed:

Lorenzo eventually dropped off the pace after some stunning riding by Rossi and Marquez, and from then on, it was a two-horse race.

The Spaniard was demonstrating exactly why he’s the world champion, as his wheels barely came out of place in the opening exchanges.

The final sector of the lap was where his brilliance really shone through, too, as he was constantly gaining ground on Rossi toward the line.

Vincent Jannink/Associated Press

Rossi was not to be deterred though, as his positioning was spot on, keeping Marquez away from first place. That was, until the 20th lap.

Marquez had been staying tight to Rossi for what seemed like an age before he finally made his move at the first turn, but it was timed to perfection and looked like being enough to earn him the victory.

However, the Italian had other ideas.

Marquez was pushing hard to get clear of Rossi and cement his place at the top, yet Rossi was staying glued to his wheel—per Crash.net:

All the championship leader needed was a good time to strike. He couldn’t do it in the final sector due to Marquez’s brilliance, so he needed to take a chance between laps eight and 12.

And he did so in style by taking a sensational line at T10 with just two laps to go. Marquez tried to hit back immediately, but Rossi just about held on, as BT Sport MotoGP’s video shows:

And if that drama wasn’t enough, the final exchange between the pair was something to behold.

Contact was made in the last corner, which pushed Rossi over the gravel, but he kept his composure to cross the line first—per BT Sport:

It will go down as one of the greatest tussles in MotoGP history, and Rossi was relief personified when the victory was confirmed—well, relief and a touch of immaturity, too, as MotoGP revealed:

The Italian's performance was just stunning, but you’ve got to hand it to Marquez, who pushed him all the way round and could well have won on another day.

The Spanish star didn’t concede defeat immediately, though, as he appeared to call for a disqualification in his post-race interview—via MotoGP:

That much is unlikely, however, as it seemed that Marquez was at fault for the contact, with Rossi being forced to cut across the track just to stay on his bike.

The veteran rider is now 10 points clear of Lorenzo in the World Championship standings, as we see below:

Pos.	Rider	Points
1	Valentino ROSSI	163
2	Jorge LORENZO	153
3	Andrea IANNONE	107
4	Marc MARQUEZ	89
5	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	87
6	Bradley SMITH	77
7	Cal CRUTCHLOW	57
8	Pol ESPARGARO	56
9	Maverick VINALES	52
10	Dani PEDROSA	47
11	Danilo PETRUCCI	44
12	Aleix ESPARGARO	38
13	Scott REDDING	30
14	Yonny HERNANDEZ	28
15	Hector BARBERA	16
16	Loris BAZ	14
17	Alvaro BAUTISTA	11
18	Jack MILLER	11
19	Stefan BRADL	9
20	Michele PIRRO	8
21	Nicky HAYDEN	8
22	Eugene LAVERTY	7
23	Hiroshi AOYAMA	5
24	Mike DI MEGLIO	2
25	Alex DE ANGELIS	1

Next up on the MotoGP calendar is the German Grand Prix, where Marquez will be looking to repeat his performance from last year and get back to winning ways.

The world champion has looked a little out of sorts in recent weeks, but his performance in Assen will undoubtedly give him plenty of encouragement.

Although, there’s still a certain Mr Rossi for him to get the better of…