MotoGP Grand Prix of Netherlands 2018: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders
After a dominant performance for Ducati at the Catalan Grand Prix a fortnight ago, Jorge Lorenzo will be seeking a third win in succession in the 2018 MotoGP season, as the Netherlands Grand Prix comes closer into view.
Lorenzo endured a slow start to the season but has roared back into form recently with some brilliant performances. In Barcelona he was able to hold off Honda star Marc Marquez, who has a 27-point lead at the top of the world championship rankings already, to take the chequered flag.
The Assen circuit is renowned for being a venue for dramatic races, with Valentino Rossi beating Danilo Petrucci by just 0.06 seconds in 2017.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
More excitement is on the cards here in Round 8 of the season. Here is the schedule for the race weekend, the information needed on where to catch the action online and a look at some of the riders who will challenge for glory.
Saturday, June 30
8:55 a.m. BST/3:55 a.m. ET: Free Practice
12:30 a.m. BST/7:30 a.m. ET: Free Practice
1:10 p.m. BST/8:10 a.m. ET: Qualifying
Sunday, July 1
1 p.m. BST/8 a.m. ET ET: Race
The full schedule and times can be found on the MotoGP website.
Live stream options are available via the BT Sport App and beIN Sports CONNECT.
Marquez, Lorenzo to do Battle Again
After Marquez won in France, notching his third victory in succession, there was a danger of the 2018 MotoGP title race being over before it started. But Lorenzo has prevented his compatriot from pulling too far away in the two most recent races.
Lorenzo, a three-time world champion, has found some of his best form in wins in Italy and Catalonia.
Given the rhythm he is in and the kind of performance the Ducati has shown recently, you wouldn't rule out Lorenzo making it three in a row. However, as we can see here, history is against Lorenzo, who has struggled around the circuit in the Netherlands previously:
By his own immaculate standards, Assen isn't a track Marquez had fared particular well at either, with the four-time world champion's only win in MotoGP in the Netherlands coming in 2014. Marquez has been on the podium for the last three years, though.
While the Honda star hasn't won any of the last two races, the positive thing for him is that those he'd consider to be title rivals have toiled too.
Rossi is the man closest to him in the standings, and he's had three third place finishes in a row. But aside from that, none of the riders placed between third and sixth overall in the standings have been able to finish higher than fourth in the last two rounds.
As we can see courtesy of BT Sport MotoGP, Rossi and Marquez have some history at this track:
The MotoGP Memes Twitter account has seen positive signs from Rossi lately and thinks he could yet challenge for the title:
Around a track that has yielded a scattering of different winners in recent seasons, Rossi has had the most success of the top guys currently in the field, taking maximum points on three of the last five outings at Assen. With the Italian seemingly coming into form, he's going to be tough to stop.
Still, throughout the campaign Marquez has been the standout performer and while Lorenzo has threatened to put together a mini-challenge as of late, expect the defending champion to get back on top of the rostrum in the Netherlands on Sunday.
Prediction: 1. Marquez, 2. Rossi, 3. Lorenzo
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
