MotoGP

Yamaha duo Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi made small gains on championship leader Marc Marquez in Austria last week, but the Honda rider remains a daunting 43 points clear at the top of the standings.

Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso made up a Ducati one-two at the Red Bull Ring, with Lorenzo third, Rossi fourth and Marquez fifth.

It was only the second time this season that Marquez has finished off the podium, and the Spaniard will be eager to get back on top this weekend at the Czech Republic Grand Prix as he goes in search of a third career MotoGP title in 2016.

Read on for a closer look at the key riders for the race in Brno, Czech Republic, along with full scheduling and live-streaming details.

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Saturday, August 20	8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.	Free Practice 3
Saturday, August 20	12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, August 20	1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, August 20	1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, August 21	1 p.m.	Race

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.) and FuboTV (U.S.).

Marc Marquez 

The form rider so far in 2016, Marquez remains the man to beat despite finishing outside the top three last time out.

He had a big crash in practice in Austria that caused an injury to his shoulder, and despite struggling to match the pace of the Yamahas and Ducatis in the race, he did a stellar job to limit the damage to his championship lead.

The 23-year-old's consistency will likely be concerning his title rivals, as it is difficult to see where Marquez might make major losses and the likes of Lorenzo and Rossi can make up ground.

Despite admitting that Brno is not one of his favourite circuits, Marquez has won there in the past—in 2013—and is eyeing another podium finish on Sunday, per MotoGP.com: "Brno isn’t one of my favourite tracks but we’ve been able to get some good results there in the past. We must be really focused and work well in order to be able to fight for the podium again." 

BeIn Sports USA provided a rider's view of the circuit:

Take a lap of this week's battleground where @lorenzo99 aims to repeat his '15 #BrnoGP win & close on @marcmarquez93 pic.twitter.com/rpLls7f3aQ

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) August 17, 2016

If the Honda rider can get a top-three spot, then it will be difficult for his rivals to make up any significant ground on him.

While there is still some way to go in the season and pressure could play a huge part, Marquez has his destiny in his own hands as far as a third title is concerned, and he could deal another blow to the rest of the field with a good result in Czech Republic.

Andrea Iannone 

Iannone's victory last time out was his first ever in MotoGP and Ducati's first race win in six years.

Is was a significant milestone for both team and rider, and the Italian looked fast in Austria at the Red Bull Ring.

Without the pressure of a lack of victories to contend with, Ducati could yet play a huge role in Brno and for the rest of the season.

A championship victory is out of the question for Iannone and Dovizioso, but if they can breach the podium intermittently in the run-in, it could make a huge difference in the race for the title.

Iannone, 27, is clearly on a huge high after Austria and believes Ducati can go well again in Czech Republic, per Geoffrey Dore of allsportsnews:

It is still very difficult to explain my feelings after the win in Austria, but I can only say that it was a truly incredible weekend.

Now we go to Brno for the next race and I think that this circuit is also very good for us. Last year I finished fourth despite a technical problem but now we have a good pace for fighting for the podium at every round. For sure also our rivals are very strong at this track but I think there is a good chance for me to score a good result again.

If he can split up the likes of Rossi, Marquez and Lorenzo, he could yet play a major role in a crucial race on Sunday.

Ducati’s Andrea Iannone won a thrilling Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday following a pulsating battle with his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso. 

Iannone started on pole for this one, although Dovizioso took over the lead midway through the race. However, the former showed great composure to retake top spot late on, winning for the first time in MotoGP. Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo came home in third, with his stablemate Valentino Rossi in fourth spot.

Here's the moment the Italian crossed the line to take victory, per the MotoGP feed:

Incredible victory to end a dominant weekend from @andreaiannone29, ahead of teammate #AD04, #JL99 3rd#AustrianGP https://t.co/5e9Y5tq4Ov

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 14, 2016

Honda’s Marc Marquez, whose lead in the championship was chopped down to 43 points, capped off a tough weekend with a battling fifth-place finish.

Here’s a recap of what was another gripping MotoGP race, as well as the full results and standings after the battle in Austria.

Pos.	Points	Rider	Nation	Team	Time/Gap
1	25	Andrea IANNONE	ITA	Ducati Team	39'46.255
2	20	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	+0.938
3	16	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	+3.389
4	13	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	+3.815
5	11	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	+11.813
6	10	Maverick VINALES	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	+14.341
7	9	Dani PEDROSA	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	+17.063
8	8	Scott REDDING	GBR	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	+29.437
9	7	Bradley SMITH	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	+29.785
10	6	Pol ESPARGARO	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	+37.094
11	5	Danilo PETRUCCI	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	+39.765
12	4	Michele PIRRO	ITA	Ducati Team	+39.766
13	3	Loris BAZ	FRA	Avintia Racing	+44.284
14	2	Tito RABAT	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	+45.004
15	1	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	LCR Honda	+1'03.246
16		Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	+1'12.448
17		Yonny HERNANDEZ	COL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	+1'14.517
18		Eugene LAVERTY	IRL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	+1'36.510
19		Stefan BRADL	GER	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	1 Lap
		Aleix ESPARGARO	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	4 Laps
		Hector BARBERA	SPA	Avintia Racing	0 Lap

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	SPA	181
2	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	SPA	138
3	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	ITA	124
4	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	SPA	105
5	Maverick VINALES	Suzuki	SPA	93
6	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati	ITA	88
7	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	ITA	79
8	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	SPA	78
9	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	SPA	65
10	Scott REDDING	Ducati	GBR	53
11	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	IRL	53
12	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	SPA	51
13	Jack MILLER	Honda	AUS	42
14	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	GBR	42
15	Cal CRUTCHLOW	Honda	GBR	41
16	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	GER	37
17	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	SPA	35
18	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	ITA	29
19	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	ITA	23
20	Tito RABAT	Honda	SPA	20
21	Loris BAZ	Ducati	FRA	11
22	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Ducati	COL	3

      

Iannone Keeps Cool to Grab Maiden Win

As noted by Crash.net MotoGP, Rossi, who did brilliantly to separate the Ducatis in qualifying, opted for a different tyre strategy than the pole-sitter, paving the way for a potentially intriguing race:

Iannone has gone for soft front-medium rear tyres. Rossi and Dovizioso medium front-hard rear. #AustrianGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/LJi9rN3c2F

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) August 14, 2016

On Lap 1, the strategy seemed to be vindicated for the Yamaha man, as he surged past his compatriot. However, Iannone retook the lead quickly, pushing Rossi wide and allowed a fast-moving Lorenzo into second and Dovizioso into third.

As we can see courtesy of the MotoGP Twitter feed, Rossi was struggling to find his groove after the fast start:

HOLD TIGHT!@ValeYellow46 makes a mistake down into turn 3, #JL99 threatening for the lead!#AustrianGP https://t.co/rJcoboOgDg

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 14, 2016

Meanwhile, Marquez, despite dislocating his shoulder on Saturday following a fall, was keeping himself in contention, making for a star-studded front five who started to pull away from the chasing pack.

Dovizioso moved past Lorenzo into second spot, and with the assurance of a team-mate behind him, Iannone was able to up the pace before his team-mate came past.

Indeed, as the race moved toward the halfway stage, the suitability of the Ducatis to this circuit was starting to show, as they gradually moved clear of the other three riders up front. The Yamaha pair of Rossi and Lorenzo were battling hard to keep pace with them, though, with the potential for tyre degradation late on.

As former British champion Steve Brogan noted, the final stages of this looked to be becoming a four-horse race for the win:

So much talk about the speed of the ducati's, it ain't making making much of a difference!! 6 top riders all together 👍👍👍

— Steve Brogan (@steve17brogan) August 14, 2016

Dovizioso was in control up front, though, and whenever Lorenzo started to close in on the Ducati duo they discovered a burst of speed. Iannone was clinging on to his coattail and evidently had little intention of following his team-mate home in a procession.

With seven laps to go, Iannone managed to squeeze his way past Dovizioso and into the lead; he then set the quickest lap of the race to consolidate his spot up front. Even so, his team-mate showed immense resolve, keeping within touching distance.

Dovizioso was breathing down Iannone’s neck on the final lap, although the latter stayed cool to clinch his maiden victory. MCN Sport paid tribute to the winner and noted just how overdue this success was for the team:

Wow. Andrea Iannone rode a perfect race. Never put a foot wrong. The first Ducati victory since Phillip Island 2010

— MCN Sport (@MCNSport) August 14, 2016

"It's an incredible feeling. It's very difficult to explain this emotion, my first MotoGP win with Ducati," said Iannone afterwards, per Valentin Khorounzhiy of Motorsport.com. "I started on this bike, and I've worked for four years with this incredible group that supported me 100 per cent from the beginning."

Ducati had been dominant over the course of the week and, overall, Iannone had been the best rider in Austria. On Saturday he showed the raw pace needed to clinch pole position, while Sunday he was meticulous and intelligent in his race craft.

Marquez will reflect on a tough weekend in Austria, although after suffering such a nasty knock on Saturday, he’ll feel he eventually did well to limit his losses overall. He’ll be hoping to be fully recovered in a week’s time in the Czech Republic and reassert his dominance in pursuit of a third world title.

The second half of the 2016 MotoGP season gets underway in Austria this weekend with Honda's Marc Marquez holding a 48-point lead at the top of the standings over Yamaha rider and defending champion Jorge Lorenzo.

The Spanish pair both have three wins apiece from the nine races so far this year, but Marquez has built a healthy lead thanks to a number of podium finishes—he has only finished outside the top three once—and he goes into Sunday's race on the back of victory at the Sachsenring, Germany, last time out.

Italian legend Valentino Rossi has claimed two victories so far this season but three scoreless races has left him 59 points back from Marquez, and he needs a big performance at Spielberg's Red Bull Ring this weekend.

Read on for a closer look at the key riders for the Austrian race, along with full scheduling and live-streaming details.

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Saturday, August 13	8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.	Free Practice 3
Saturday, August 13	12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, August 13	1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, August 13	1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, August 14	1 p.m.	Race

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.) and FuboTV (U.S.).

           

Valentino Rossi 

Consistency has been a problem so far this season for the Yamaha riders, and Rossi and Lorenzo have allowed Marquez to build a lead in the last few races.

The 2015 champion finished 15th last time out, 10th in the Netherlands and did not finish in Catalonia. 

Meanwhile, Rossi, 37, won his second race of the season at the Catalan GP, but has since not finished in the Netherlands and managed only eighth place last time out in Germany.

The seven-time MotoGP champion said that Yamaha have proved they have the pace to win and assessed the track for the Austrian Grand Prix, per Crash.net:

I really want to get back on the track and do my best in this second half of the season. 

We have done good races up to this point. Some of them could have been better but we have proven that we're fast.

It is a particular type of track. It is very, very fast and just ten corners. The average speed is very high and you stay a lot of time at full throttle.

The track is interesting and sincerely I like the corners - especially when you go downhill on the left you have turns 5-6-7, and also the last two corners - but unfortunately there are not enough of them!

MotoGP is returning to Austria this weekend for the first time since 1997, and Rossi is the only current rider who has any experience of racing in the country, per Crash.net Moto GP:

Rossi is the only current rider to have raced at the last #AustrianGP in 1997. 2nd in 125cc. @ValeYellow46 #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/N2vvkWiraV

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) August 9, 2016

It is his immense experience that sets him apart from the rest as he has won more than any other rider he is racing against.

However, Rossi is trailing the 23-year-old Marquez by a huge distance and will need to use all his know-how, and pace, to make up ground in Austria on Sunday.

Though he has been competitive in the last few seasons, Rossi has not won a championship since 2009, and if he falls any further back from the Spaniard this weekend, he may be effectively out of the running for 2016. 

Marc Marquez

Marquez is not getting carried away with the fact that he has opened up such a handsome lead midway through the season.

He insisted ahead of the Austrian race that he expects things to be tight in the second half of the campaign, per MotoGP.

There is clearly no room for complacency for the Honda rider with races coming thick and fast up until the season's close, per BT Sport MotoGP:

Welcome to the business end of the season. 👊 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/26LCpWP9Tu

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) August 9, 2016

However, Marquez is the man to catch at the moment, and if he can maintain the consistency he had in the first half of the campaign, nobody will stop him.

Only in France back in May did the Spanish sensation finish off the podium as he could only manage 13th at Le Mans.

None of his rivals have shown anything like as good form, and he starts the second half of 2016 in winning mode, comfortable in the knowledge that others will have to work hard to overhaul his lead.

Honda’s Marc Marquez produced a stunning recovery to win a thrilling German MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday. 

A wet track made for a frantic start and a gripping race at the Sachsenring. But the Spaniard nailed his strategy on a drying track, recovering from well down the field to take the chequered flag from LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso.

Here’s the moment Marquez’s victory was confirmed, per the official MotoGP Twitter feed; it’s the fourth year in succession he has triumphed in MotoGP at the German Grand Prix:

The King of The Ring! 🏁@marcmarquez93 #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/08LOYS9fP0

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) July 17, 2016

In the race for the world title, the Spaniard now has 170 points. He’s 48 ahead of Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo and 59 clear of Valentino Rossi, who struggled to 15th and eighth, respectively, on Sunday.

Pos.	Rider	Nation	Team	Time/Gap
1	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	47:03.239
2	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	LCR Honda	+9.857
3	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	+11.613
4	Scott REDDING	GBR	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	+11.992
5	Andrea IANNONE	ITA	Ducati Team	+22.755
6	Dani PEDROSA	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	+25.920
7	Jack MILLER	AUS	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	+26.043
8	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	+26.449
9	Hector BARBERA	SPA	Avintia Racing	+26.614
10	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	+31.274
11	Eugene LAVERTY	IRL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	+41.208
12	Maverick VINALES	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	+42.158
13	Bradley SMITH	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	+1'03.129
14	Aleix ESPARGARO	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	+1'06.091
15	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	+1'17.694
16	Tito RABAT	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	1 Lap
17	Loris BAZ	FRA	Avintia Racing	2 Laps
18	Yonny HERNANDEZ	COL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	3 Laps
DNF	Pol ESPARGARO	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	13 Laps
DNF	Danilo PETRUCCI	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	18 Laps

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	SPA	170
2	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	SPA	122
3	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	ITA	111
4	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	SPA	96
5	Maverick VINALES	Suzuki	SPA	83
6	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	SPA	72
7	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	SPA	65
8	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati	ITA	63
9	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	ITA	59
10	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	IRL	53
11	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	SPA	51
12	Scott REDDING	Ducati	GBR	45
13	Jack MILLER	Honda	AUS	42
14	Cal CRUTCHLOW	Honda	GBR	40
15	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	GER	37
16	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	GBR	35
17	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	SPA	35
18	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	ITA	24
19	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	ITA	19
20	Tito RABAT	Honda	SPA	18
21	Loris BAZ	Ducati	FRA	8
22	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Ducati	COL	3

Tyre Gamble Pays Off for Marquez

After crashing in the morning warm up it was no surprise to see Marquez tentative off the line on a wet track.

Rossi, in third, enjoyed the best opening lap, moving up past Hector Barbera and then Marquez into first. Things were fast-moving up front, though, with Dovizioso eventually taking the lead and Danilo Petrucci slotting into second spot before moving into first himself for a spell.

However, the latter pushed his luck a little too much when out in front, losing his balance and running off on Lap 10, leaving Dovizioso to retake the lead with Rossi and Co. in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, Marquez was not able to find his groove in the wet and was dropped by Jack Miller, falling down into fifth place. His race got even worse not long after, as he ran on to the dirt and resumed in ninth. Here’s a look at that incident, per the MotoGP Twitter feed:

When all that going left on the dirt pays off... @marcmarquez93 #GermanGP https://t.co/1lJpsG4lbK

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) July 17, 2016

With the rain stopping a dry line started to form out on track, which meant the teams with little to lose were beginning to bring their riders in to change the setup, although the leaders, involved in some close-quarter racing all opted to stay out.

Marquez was in a position to gamble after his earlier faux pas, so Honda called him in and made the decision to switch to a drier compound. It was a decision that would prove to be decisive in determining the end result.

Indeed, Marquez lit up the leaderboard with some scintillating times once he resumed, gaining six to seven seconds a lap on the riders at the front and scything through the field with ease. A reaction was needed from the leaders, but it came too late.

By the time the Honda man had made it to the front, Miller, who had tried to slug it out on the wets, was a sitting duck in first place, and he roared past him into open road, quickly establishing a massive time gap.

While Marquez surged to victory, a fascinating battle ensued for the minor podium places. Scott Redding was another rider who made the tyre change early and benefitted as he moved into second place. However, he was pursued quickly by Crutchlow and Dovizioso, who were on the more suitable tyre at this juncture.

The Pramac Ducati didn’t quite have enough to fend either rider off as a result. Crutchlow rode brilliantly in the final stages to muscle his way past Dovizioso and then Redding. The latter was unable to cling on to a podium, as the Italian, who led this one for long spells, found a way through on the final lap.

Even after such a pulsating finish, all the talk afterwards was about Marquez’s tactical masterstroke. “I was struggling a lot,” he conceded, per Autosport. “So I said 'OK, it's getting drier and drier'. When I saw the minimum bit of dry, I took the risk. I just took it lap by lap and built the confidence.”

San Antonio Spurs star Pau Gasol paid tribute to his compatriot following the win:

Great victory by @marcmarquez93 at the #GermanGP! The smartest kid in class!!! #GrandeMarc #MotoGP

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) July 17, 2016

For Marquez, the Sachsenring has once again proved to be a hospitable venue. This will be one of his most memorable wins, having gone from the gravel to first place thanks to a bit of luck but some bold riding, too.

Overall, the 23-year-old is looking good for a third world title in four years. The struggles of the Yamaha duo of Rossi and Lorenzo will make an incredible triumph even sweeter for Marquez.

Ducati's Loris Baz will celebrate his return from injury at the 2016 MotoGP Grand Prix of Germany at the iconic Sachsenring.

The Frenchman confirmed the news via Twitter:

Glad to tell you i'll be back on my @babydesmo this week end in Sachsenring !!!
Heureux de vous annoncer que je... https://t.co/1CbM6IaHx6

— Loris baz (@lorisbaz) July 11, 2016

It will be the first race since the controversial Dutch Grand Prix on June 26, when standings leader Marc Marquez increased his lead over Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi after a multitude of crashes following a red flag.

Marquez has won the last three races at the Sachsenring and is once again the clear favourite for the title. Here's a look at the race schedule, which can be found in full on the event's official website:

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Saturday, July 16	9 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.	Free Practice 3
Saturday, July 16	12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, July 16	1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, July 16	1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, July 17	1 p.m.	Race

Live-streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.) and FuboTV (U.S.).         

Marc Marquez

The weather gods and MotoGP officials helped Marquez's world-title bid in Assen, the Netherlands, as heavy rains saw the race red-flagged right as he was losing ground on Rossi fast. At the time, there had been few crashes. But the race officials deemed the track unsafe and instructed the riders to move back to the pit lane.

Following the restart, more than a half-dozen riders crashed in the span of a few laps, including Rossi. The 23-year-old suddenly found himself in the lead and ended up finishing second behind Jack Miller.

It was yet another stroke of good fortune for Marquez and Honda, who shouldn't have any business challenging Yamaha for the title, per Autosport's Mitchell Adam:

But that's the way this year has bounced, and the notion of luck does little to detract from Marquez's performances. Imagine if the Honda was closer to the level of Yamaha's M1, or its acceleration deficit not as pronounced as it is?

Its current woes revolve around its engine and electronics. Even last year, Marquez was struggling with an aggressive engine, and Honda is understood to have overhauled its philosophy in 2016, following Yamaha and Ducati's lead with a counter-rotating crankshaft.

Marquez is one of MotoGP's top technicians, and the Sachsenring is almost tailor-made for the youngster. The Spaniard grew up a dirt-bike racer, and he's perfected his technique going into left-handers—of which the Sachsenring has 10—over the years.

Per the Repsol Honda Team (via MotoGP.com), Marquez feels at home on the track:

We’re going to the German GP aiming for a podium position and of course possibly to fight for the win. The Sachsenring is normally a very good track for me that I like very much, maybe because it has so many left-hand corners, a bit like a dirt track! On the other hand, it’s another one on the calendar where the weather has sometimes played a crucial role in the past, so we’ll see how it goes there. 

Marquez is undefeated at the Sachsenring in MotoGP, and in all likelihood, that streak will continue.

      

Jorge Lorenzo

Compatriot Lorenzo smartly kept out of the battle for the podium in the Netherlands, spending most of the race in a third group of riders and finishing in 10th place. He lost some ground on Marquez but opted not to take any risks with an eye on the second half of the season.

On paper, the defending world champion should be faster than Marquez, as his Yamaha puts out more power. But consistency has been an issue in 2016, and the Sachsenring is not a track that suits him—Lorenzo has never won in Germany.

Much has been made of Marquez's new conservative racing style and the fact he has finished every race in the points, but according to Adam's report, Lorenzo thinks luck has been a factor:

For example [at Assen on Saturday], he almost crashed in a big moment.

If he crashed this time, he could have injured himself very badly.

So you never know when you can crash, you never know this year, if you can injure yourself in a big moment or in a stupid moment.

So we cannot say that Marquez, now he cannot crash or cannot make mistakes

Yamaha have struggled for pace in the rain at times this season, so that will be something to keep an eye on. On dry tracks, most riders have found it hard to keep up with Lorenzo and his bike's straight-line speed, but the twisty nature of the Sachsenring should negate that advantage as well.

Jack Miller took his maiden win in a controversial 2016 MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix race on Saturday, beating standings leader Marc Marquez to top spot in dreadful weather conditions. 

Conditions in Assen were horrid right from the start, and the weather deteriorated to the point where the race was red-flagged with 12 laps to go. The re-start raw more than half a dozen crashes in the first few laps, and Valentino Rossi was arguably the top victim, as the nine-time world champion didn't finish the race.

This allowed Marquez, who trailed the Italian before the race was red-flagged, to increase his lead in the championship standings, and Rossi won't be happy with the decision to suspend the race in the first place. Here's a look at the race results, via MotoSponsor:

https://twitter.com/MotoSponsor/status/747057989023109120

The current championship standings, via MotoGP's official website:

Pos	Rider	Team	Points
1	Marc Marquez	Honda	145
2	Jorge Lorenzo	Yahama	121
3	Valentino Rossi	Yamaha	103
4	Dani Pedrosa	Honda	86
5	Maverick Vinales	Suzuki	79

Recap

The riders knew they would be in for a wild affair at the TT Circuit Assen on Sunday, as dreadful weather conditions and a technical track spelled disaster. The Moto2 race was red-flagged, and Eugene Lafferty took a nasty spill during warmups, an ill omen, as shared by Crash.net MotoGP:

Problem for Eugene Laverty, fortunately Irishman has plenty of time to get back to pits #DutchGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/YHqNTmkspe

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) June 26, 2016

The one area of the track where major crashes were expected was the final chicane, one that has often decided race winners in the past. MotoGP's official Twitter account shared this short video of riders taking the turn at speed, showing it's nearly impossible to avoid the curbs, which become extremely slippery when wet:

The decisive final chicane at the #DutchGP 🚁🎥

Will today produce another epic showdown?👉https://t.co/cFymKY6tFu

https://t.co/bDPBQZUelT

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 26, 2016

The rain stopped just in time for the race, but the track didn't have time to dry. Rossi overtook Scott Redding in the first turn to take the early lead, while Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Iannone had great starts in the background.

Marquez moved up to fourth place toward the end of the second lap, but no rider made a better start than Yonny Hernandez, who gained several spots in the first few turns.

Dry lines started forming in a hurry, and as shared by MotoGP, Movistar Yamaha made the decision to swap tyres early:

Dry lines forming already, teams are preparing for bike swaps!😬#DutchGP pic.twitter.com/42YQkl6Es0

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 26, 2016

Hernandez overtook Rossi for the lead in Turn 4 of the third lap, and he, Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso quickly built a lead of over two seconds on Marquez, who led the chasing pack.

Danilo Petrucci was running the same pace as Hernandez, who was almost two seconds faster than Rossi, and before long, the Italian caught up with Marquez before passing him in the fifth lap. At the front, Hernandez quickly pulled away from Rossi and Dovi, but the impending bike swaps meant the race was far from over.

In the background, Jorge Lorenzo had dropped out of the points completely, a nightmare scenario for his world title hopes.

Marquez fared little better, as his pace was a full second off the leading group, and Iannone passed him before long. 

A wide dry line appeared on the main stretch and soon spread to the rest of the track, improving the lap times and tempting even the top riders to make the switch before it was too late. 

And just as it seemed the worst of the weather had passed, race officials had some bad news for the riders, per Crash.net MotoGP:

A dry line was developing... then rain flags signal more rain! #DutchGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/EcC6Ou9BCz

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) June 26, 2016

Rossi now started taking less risks as the rain intensified rapidly, and Dovizioso passed him on the main straight after a great exit out of the chicane. Here's a look at the overtake:

🚀 @AndreaDovizioso blasts past @ValeYellow46 as the rain falls heavier and heavier at the #DutchGP! https://t.co/GkC5PAHhfx

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 26, 2016

Hernandez's lead stalled at four seconds, but the weather soon took its toll, and disaster struck in the 13th lap. The 27-year-old lost all grip in Turn 1 and crashed out of the lead, ending his bid to win the race.

As shared by MotoGP, he had to enter the pits for a bike change as well, and he was visibly distraught at his ill fortune:

.@yonny68motogp 😕#DutchGP https://t.co/J3fm5TEB7o

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 26, 2016

Iannone crashed in Turn 2 shortly after, sliding across the track and opening the door for Scott Redding to catch the leaders. At the front, Petrucci and Rossi were engaged in a fantastic duel for second place, but the 23-year-old soon joined them.

Petrucci finally shook Rossi with 11 laps to go, and just as Redding made contact with the leaders, the red flag came out. Visibility had deteriorated to the point it was no longer safe to race, as you can see from this image:

Red flags due to appalling conditions at Assen #DutchGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/uDC7ZYYwIz

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) June 26, 2016

As two-thirds of the race hadn't been completed yet, it was unclear whether there would be a re-start, possibly in a sprint. 

Eventually, the decision was made to re-start for a 12-lap race, pending an improvement in the weather. The riders got back underway shortly after 3 p.m. local time, with Rossi grabbing the lead and Dani Pedrosa falling in the opening lap.

Cal Crutchlow fell as well, while Redding missed his start completely, dropping to eighth place. Petrucci retired while Marquez moved up to second place, and Bradley Smith joined the numerous riders crashing out during a hectic re-start. 

Rossi was the next to lose his grip, crashing out of the lead in Turn 10. Miller suddenly found himself challenging Marquez for first place after one of the most hectic sequences in recent MotoGP history: No less than eight riders crashed during the first two laps.

Miller took the lead from Marquez and quickly put a second between himself and the Spaniard, but his position was far from secure, as riders kept hitting the asphalt. Esteve Rabat crashed out of seventh place, shaking the top 10 up even further.

Marquez soon eased the pressure, settling for second place and the major boost in the standings that came with it. Miller held on for the win, becoming the first Independent Team rider to claim top spot since 2006, per MotoGP's official Twitter account. Further back, Redding claimed his first podium finish of the season.

Per Crash.net's live blog of the race, he was more than happy with the result: "I struggled more at the beginning. I had the feeling toward the end. It was hard to pass Pol. I made the move and risked it. I'm happy with the podium and so happy to be here."

Marquez was also pleased: "Today was the race to lose the points. I was really calm and did my race. I saw Rossi was pushing and thought I couldn't follow him. When Jack passed me I said the second place is like a victory."

This race will be talked about for weeks to come, as Rossi appeared to be on the verge of gaining ground on Marquez in the standings before the re-start. Instead, the veteran had to watch from the paddock as the standings leader increased his advantage, and the decision to red-flag the race will not sit well with Rossi.

Follow @ReverschPass

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.

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.

Date	Time (BST)	Session
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 at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (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: 

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. 

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:

Who remembers this fierce battle between @ValeYellow46 and @marcmarquez93 at the 2015 #DutchGP? #TBT https://t.co/PEXm6xi4vW

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) June 23, 2016

With seven MotoGP victories in Assen, Rossi is the most decorated rider in Dutch Grand Prix history—and 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:

.@marcmarquez93 admits although he's top of the championship, it's all to play for at #DutchGP https://t.co/ar44curc3v

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 23, 2016

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.

Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi recovered from eighth position to win a gripping MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday.

The seven-time MotoGP world champion held off Honda’s persistent Marc Marquez to take the chequered flag, with another Honda man, Dani Pedrosa, grabbing third spot. It was a day to forget for Rossi’s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, as Andrea Iannone took him out late on. Lorenzo was unable to finish.

The result means Lorenzo now only has a 12-point gap in front of his team-mate in the race for the world title; Marquez now leads the battle for the championship by 10 points from Lorenzo. 

Here is a look the results from a fine day’s racing in Montmelo, Spain, how the standings have changed and a closer examination of the best bits of the action.

Pos.	Points	Num.	Rider	Nation	Team	Time/Gap
1	25	46	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	44:37.589
2	20	93	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	+2.652
3	16	26	Dani PEDROSA	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	+6.313
4	13	25	Maverick VINALES	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	+24.388
5	11	44	Pol ESPARGARO	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	+29.546
6	10	35	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	LCR Honda	+36.244
7	9	4	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	+41.464
8	8	19	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	+42.975
9	7	9	Danilo PETRUCCI	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	+45.337
10	6	8	Hector BARBERA	SPA	Avintia Racing	+46.669
11	5	43	Jack MILLER	AUS	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	+49.514
12	4	6	Stefan BRADL	GER	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	+55.133
13	3	50	Eugene LAVERTY	IRL	Aspar Team MotoGP	+57.974
14	2	53	Tito RABAT	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	+1'00.141
15	1	51	Michele PIRRO	ITA	Avintia Racing	+1'00.429
16		45	Scott REDDING	GBR	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	+1'16.269
17		68	Yonny HERNANDEZ	COL	Aspar Team MotoGP	1 Lap
DNF		41	Aleix ESPARGARO	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	7 Laps
DNF		99	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	9 Laps
DNF		29	Andrea IANNONE	ITA	Ducati Team	9 Laps
DNF		38	Bradley SMITH	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	19 Laps

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	SPA	125
2	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	SPA	115
3	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	ITA	103
4	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	SPA	82
5	Maverick VINALES	Suzuki	SPA	72
6	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	SPA	59
7	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	SPA	49
8	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	SPA	49
9	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	ITA	43
10	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati	ITA	41
11	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	IRL	39
12	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	GBR	29
13	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	GER	29
14	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	SPA	29
15	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	ITA	24
16	Cal CRUTCHLOW	Honda	GBR	20
17	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	ITA	19
18	Scott REDDING	Ducati	GBR	16
19	Tito RABAT	Honda	SPA	13
20	Loris BAZ	Ducati	FRA	8
21	Jack MILLER	Honda	AUS	7
22	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Ducati	COL	3

This is a circuit where Lorenzo has thrived in the past, having won in three of the last four years, so it was no surprise to see him get off to a good start. Indeed, Marquez had no answer for the Yamaha man, as he produced a superb move to overtake him into the opening corner.

Meanwhile, Rossi slipped back off the line and down to eighth position at one stage. However, the experienced Italian went about pulling himself back into the race in spectacular style.

The Yamaha man found his groove, scything through the field in style. Rossi produced a lap record as he moved up into the top three, weaving his way past a clutch of riders to within touching distance of the top two; once there, it didn’t take him long to edge past both Marquez and his team-mate into first position.

Here is a look at the overtake that saw him move into first spot:

Absolutely no hanging about from @ValeYellow46... straight past @lorenzo99 into turn 1!#CatalanGP https://t.co/yKaN3DNPMo

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 5, 2016

Lorenzo seemed stunned by Rossi’s efforts, and that allowed Marquez to jump him with a fine overtake into second. The reigning world champion even slipped down as far as fourth, with Pedrosa’s Honda also proving too good for the Yamaha man, who was struggling.

Up front, Rossi was staving off the challenge of the other Honda rider. Marquez had settled well by this stage and was putting pressure on the Italian at every turn. But all the years of experience the Yamaha rider had under his belt were shining through as he kept the youngster at bay.

The GPxtra Twitter feed felt as though the Spaniard was biding his time in an attempt to take the lead:

14/25 - Marquez is still just sat behind Rossi, looks as if he is waiting to make his move rather than just sticking with him...

— Aaron Rowles (@GP_Xtra) June 5, 2016

Lorenzo was falling further and further back, though, and after such a scintillating start to the day, his Catalunya Grand Prix was to end in disappointment.

The champion could do little about the incident that prematurely brought an end to his race, as Iannone collided with the Yamaha and took out both riders. While they were each in good condition following the crash, Lorenzo was unhappy, as the Moto Race Feed noted:

#MotoGP - Iannone trying to apologise but Lorenzo is having none of it. In this case, I don't blame him. Bad move from Iannone there...

— Moto Race Feed (@MotoRaceFeed) June 5, 2016

That elimination meant all eyes were fixed on the front two riders, who had built up a buffer between themselves and Pedrosa in third. And with the laps ticking down, Marquez launched his bid for the race win.

With five laps to go, he edged in front, before Rossi snatched the lead back. Then again, with three laps to run, Marquez found himself in the lead before the 37-year-old somehow hauled his way back to the front of the field on the penultimate lap.

The pressure of the chase eventually seemed to get to the younger man, though, as he ran wide before the final lap, allowing Rossi to grab his second win of the season.

Here is a look at the moment the winner crossed the line:

That one clearly meant a lot. #RossiVsMarquez#CatalanGP https://t.co/XybYxbMAHw

— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) June 5, 2016

"I am very happy, it’s the first win since 2009 here, one of my favourite tracks," said Rossi after his stunning triumph, per the circuit's Twitter feed. The Italian also paid tribute to Luis Salom on the podium; the 24-year-old Moto2 rider died after a crash in free practice on Friday:

The three podium finishers on the podium with "Always In Our Hearts" t-shirts in memory of Luis Salom. #CatalanGP https://t.co/8Po5NwhpBB

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 5, 2016

This was a spectacular performance from Rossi, showcasing all the attributes that make him one of the all-time greats. He recovered superbly after falling behind early on.

The challenge now will be to produce these standards on a more consistent basis, starting with the next Grand Prix in the Netherlands in three weeks' time.

The MotoGP circus will descend on Catalunya for the seventh Grand Prix of the 2016 season, as Jorge Lorenzo hopes to continue his fast start to the campaign with another win in front of his compatriots on Sunday in Spain.

He cruised to the win in Italy on May 22, narrowly beating Marc Marquez in the Italian Grand Prix to increase his lead in the standings over the Spaniard and Valentino Rossi.

Lorenzo took the win in Barcelona last year and has taken three of the last four grands prix at the Circuit de Catalunya, a track where no rider has taken more wins than Rossi, with nine across four categories.

Here's a look at the schedule for Sunday:

Time (BST/ET)	Race
10 a.m./5 a.m.	Moto 3
11:20 a.m./6:20 a.m.	Moto 2
1 p.m./8 a.m.	MotoGP

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK) and beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.).

Here are the key riders to keep an eye on.

Jorge Lorenzo

Current world champion Lorenzo enters Sunday's race as the clear favourite to grab yet another win. He has dominated both the 2016 MotoGP campaign and the Circuit de Catalunya in recent years.

His preparation for this year's race didn't go as smoothly as he would have liked, however. Per MotoGP's official website, he somehow managed to lose his bike in the city of Barcelona.

After tracking the bike down, he told reporters he's still in awe of the amazing battle he had with Marquez in Italy:

I watched Mugello complete race back once, but I watched the last laps a few times! It was one of the more amazing fights that I have had in my MotoGP career. I will remember forever this amazing battle, won in the end by just little centimetres and it was very important for the points of the championship.

The final lap of the race at Mugello is one fans of the sport will watch again and again for many years, and those same fans are likely hoping for a similar battle in Spain. Here's a look at what happened during that final lap in Italy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkEPG-BQU4w

Don't expect a repeat performance in Barcelona, however. Lorenzo knows the track better than most, and the long, sweeping bends suit his Yamaha perfectly.

Lorenzo's at his best when he controls the race from the front. Given his track knowledge of the Circuit de Catalunya, he's likely to start the race from the front row.

Marc Marquez

Marquez's strong start to the season and his solid showing in Italy mean his 13th-placed finish at Le Mans is but a distant memory.  Now, just 10 points separate him from the top spot in the standings.

The 23-year-old was born in Cervera, Spain, and has done his fair share of laps at the Circuit de Catalunya, so it's perhaps a bit of a surprise he has registered just one MotoGP win at the track.

In his MotoGP blog for Box Repsol (via MotoGP's official website), he acknowledged the track doesn't suit him, but he urged his fans to travel to Barcelona and support their local hero nonetheless.

A second win at the Circuit de Catalunya would be a major statement from the youngster and may just give him the kind of boost he needs heading into the middle portion of the season. Competition will be fierce, however, and given Lorenzo's strong form, the advantage goes to the current champion.

Valentino Rossi

Rossi continues to defy Father Time and enters the race ranked third in the standings, albeit at a safe distance. The 37-year-old isn't seen as a real challenger for the world title this year—the consistency of the younger riders makes that difficult—but he's always a threat to grab a handful of wins.

He hasn't won in Barcelona since 2009, but his Yamaha appears quicker at this stage of the season than it has in some time. He wasn't losing any time on team-mate Lorenzo until having a mechanical failure in Italy, further proof he's able to hang with the title favourites.

The Circuit de Catalunya is a fast one and provides plenty of space for overtaking—an advantage for Rossi over Lorenzo, who prides himself on sticking to the perfect racing line and is hard to beat once he takes the lead.

Follow @ReverschPass

Jorge Lorenzo edged Marc Marquez by the slimmest of margins to claim victory in Sunday's MotoGP Italian Grand Prix to earn his fifth title at Mugello in the space of six years and extend his lead at the top of the standings.

A technical issue saw pole leader Valentino Rossi prevented from contesting for the crown in front of a home audience as he dropped further back in the riders' standings with his second retirement of the campaign.

Victory also saw Lorenzo seal back-to-back MotoGP wins for the first time in the 2016 season and extend his lead at the summit of the riders' standings, while Andrea Iannone claimed third place on the podium.

It was a desperately close finish between the two remaining stars of Yamaha and Honda, and the official MotoGP Twitter account provided a look at the photo finish:

Edge. Of. Our. Seats. #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/wsHxCuPgKF

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 22, 2016

Here are the 2016 Italian Grand Prix results, and you can check out the times in full at the official MotoGP website:

Position	Points	Rider	Nation	Team	Bike	Time/Gap
1	25	Jorge Lorenzo	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	41'36.535
2	20	Marc Marquez	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	+0.019
3	16	Andrea Iannone	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	+4.742
4	13	Dani Pedrosa	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	+4.910
5	11	Andrea Dovizioso	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	+6.256
6	10	Maverick Vinales	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	+8.670
7	9	Bradley Smith	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	+13.340
8	8	Danilo Petrucci	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	+14.598
9	7	Aleix Espargaro	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	+18.643
10	6	Michele Pirro	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	+22.298
11	5	Cal Crutchlow	GBR	LCR Honda	Honda	+27.936
12	4	Hector Barbera	SPA	Avintia Racing	Ducati	+35.712
13	3	Eugene Laverty	IRL	Aspar Team MotoGP	Ducati	+38.032
14	2	Stefan Bradl	GER	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	+40.094
15	1	Pol Espargaro	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	+59.811
16		Yonny Hernandez	COL	Aspar Team MotoGP	Ducati	+1'04.397
Not Classified	Laps	Bike
Valentino Rossi	15	Yamaha
Scott Redding	15	Ducati
Jack Miller	0	Honda
Alvaro Bautista	0	Asprilla
Loris Baz	0	Ducati

Here's how the 2016 MotoGP standings look after Sunday's result:

Position	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Jorge Lorenzo	Yamaha	SPA	115
2	Marc Marquez	Honda	SPA	105
3	Valentino Rossi	Yamaha	ITA	78
4	Dani Pedrosa	Honda	SPA	66
5	Maverick Vinales	Suzuki	SPA	59
6	Pol Espargaro	Yamaha	SPA	49
7	Aleix Espargaro	Suzuki	SPA	48
8	Hector Barbera	Ducati	SPA	43
9	Andrea Iannone	Ducati	ITA	41
10	Eugene Laverty	Ducati	IRL	36
11	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	ITA	34
12	Bradley Smith	Yamaha	GBR	29
13	Stefan Bradl	Aprilia	GER	25
14	Alvaro Bautista	Aprilia	SPA	21
15	Michele Pirro	Ducati	ITA	18
16	Danilo Petrucci	Ducati	ITA	17
17	Scott Redding	Ducati	GBR	16
18	Tito Rabat	Honda	SPA	11
19	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	GBR	10
20	Loris Baz	Ducati	FRA	8
21	Yonny Hernandez	Ducati	COL	3
22	Jack Miller	Honda	AUS	2

Tensions were high coming to Mugello after Lorenzo's victory in France earlier this month saw him leapfrog Marquez into top spot, and it showed after Sunday's riders got off to a frantic start.

Lorenzo started fifth on the grid but managed to zip into an early lead on the first lap, but Loris Baz, Alvaro Bautista and Jack Miller weren't as fortunate:

Dramatic start as #JM43, #LB76 and #AB19 went down at turn one. @lorenzo99 leads after lap one! #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/xbvD3e1HPt

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 22, 2016

Pole starter Rossi wasn't content in allowing his lead to slip by so easily, however, and the Doctor held tight on Lorenzo's heels as he sought his first Italian Grand Prix victory since winning seven in succession between 2002 and 2008.

Marquez was a close third behind Rossi in the opening stages, and Andrea Dovizioso followed close behind as he too went in search of triumph in front of a baying home audience:

Chasing, chasing... #MM93 and #AD04 on the move behind the leading duo. #ItalianGP https://t.co/OG0D9tYZrf

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 22, 2016

The winding circuit of Mugello would play into Lorenzo's hands entirely were it not for the long, finishing straight after Turn 14, a patch of the track that offered the faster riders a chance to catch up.

The battle of the Yamaha riders waged on at the front, but MotoGP reporter Steve English highlighted how "ultimate pace" wasn't one of the leader's strengths:

lorenzo has struggled all weekend. Made a mega start but now we're seeing him ride defensively cos he doesnt have the ultimate pace

— sTTevie (@SteveEnglishGP) May 22, 2016

Rossi's war to reclaim his lead was going to plan until smoke started billowing out of his bike due to a technical error, and the Italian was forced to call it quits midway through Sunday's showdown:

A catastrophic technical issue for @ValeYellow46 who is OUT of the #ItalianGP! https://t.co/6zQSVfcIcP

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 22, 2016

That casualty left the platform open for Marquez to make a claim on the lead himself, but the distance between him and Lorenzo ultimately proved too great.

Crash.net noted Rossi's engine failure was Yamaha's second of the day after Lorenzo's did so in the warm-up, and the Spaniard's race was far from over after Marquez closed the gap, per the Sun's Simon Head:

Marc Marquez definitely fancies this. He's closing the gap to Lorenzo with nine laps to go. #MotoGP

— Simon Head (@simonheadsport) May 22, 2016

Dovizioso's tug of war with Iannone ensured the battle for a podium place went down to the wire also, and Dani Pedrosa remained in the hunt to make it a Spanish hat-trick at the top.

Marquez and Lorenzo exchanged the lead several times in the final three laps, as did Pedrosa and Iannone in the battle for third after Dovizioso dropped to fifth following a wide exit not far from the finish.

But Lorenzo's experience in Mugello appeared to win out, and his clam under pressure led to a fifth Italian Grand Prix crown. Meanwhile, Iannone ensured there was at least one Italian in the medal places.

Formula One driver Romain Grosjean was also tuned into the action and mourned Rossi's early retirement:

What an amazing finish for the @MotoGP in Mugello ! Shame @ValeYellow46 had to retire, would have been even more fun with the doctor !

— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) May 22, 2016

Per Crash.net, Marquez agonised over just how close the finish was with the in-form Lorenzo: "I already know that it was really close. We were struggling a lot all weekend with the acceleration and top speed. I tried my maximum and potential and I take a lot of risks to try to win the race. We must keep working on acceleration."

Lorenzo now holds a 10-point cushion in the riders' standings before heading to Catalonia in a fortnight's time, where a disparaged Rossi will attempt to claw his way back into the championship chase.

Marquez, meanwhile, can take heart in a performance that almost saw him draw level with Lorenzo at the summit, having now sealed podium finishes in five of his six races this year.