Rossi’s back in winner’s circle
CLOSE CALL: PETRUCCI BEATEN BY JUST A BIKE’S LENGTH
Italian legend still on track for his 10th title triumph.
Italian MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi won a gripping Dutch Grand Prix yesterday to reignite the 38-year-old’s dream of a 10th world title, as Maverick Vinales’ nightmare run continued.
Vinales went into this eighth leg of the season leading the 2017 championship, but after making up ground from 11th on the grid to fifth, he crashed out on lap 12.
The Yamaha rider leaves the circuit trailing Andrea Dovizioso, who took fifth, by four points.
Rossi’s 10th win here lifted him into third, only three points away with defending champion Marc Marquez breathing down his neck, four points behind.
Rossi had to call on all his skill in his 20th season to get the better of compatriot Danilo Petrucci, who briefly passed Rossi before the Italian grabbed the lead back four laps out.
He crossed the line barely the length of his Yamaha bike in front of Petrucci, who was only six years old when Rossi lined up for his first grand prix in 1996.
“This place is always special,” beamed Rossi.
“The track is fantastic. I’m excited for me and my team – back in first place, a great race.”
His team-mate Vinales was left bemused by his spill, which thankfully he escaped from unscathed while bits of his bike littered the track.
“I can’t explain what happened, I don’t even know why I crashed. I passed there 2 000 times, but today was the day,” he said.
Marquez came in third ahead of Briton Cal Crutchlow and Dovizioso.
MotoGP rookie Johann Zarco, manfully fought off Marquez’s attack to the first corner but Yamaha Tech’s French rider then lost ground before pitting to change to wet tyres and finished 14th.
Zarco has the consolation from at least finishing in front of a three-time former world champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Lorenzo had a weekend to forget, being relegated to the penultimate row of the grid and had to settle for 15th.
Rossi meanwhile was already looking forward to the next instalment of the 2017 title showdown.
“Everything is open and this year we discovered that the situation can change a lot.”
Franco Morbidelli won the Moto2 Grand Prix, making it five wins from eight races as he crossed the line clear of Thomas Luthi with Japan’s Takaaki Nakagami taking third.
Aron Canet won the Moto3 race to follow up his breakthrough win in Spain last month. –