Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi, who is also known as the Doctor, passed significant milestone in his career with win in the Motul TT Assen on Sunday. The Movistar Yamaha rider now has the longest winning career in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing as the number 46 took his 115th win, more than 20 years after his first.
Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) finished the race in P2 ahead of reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Marquez had a three-way fight for third and kept Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) at bay. Crutchlow passed the chequered flag as fourth rider.
It was Rossi's first win since May 2016. This is Rossi's 10th win at Assen - eight of which have been in the top-class MotoGP. The win at Dutch GP also lifted him to third in the standings, only seven points behind new leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team).
"I'm so happy, and for different reasons, because it's a very important victory for the championship, but especially the feeling of coming back to the number one spot after one year is fantastic. Sincerely, I race with motorcycles for this feeling: for what I feel in the five or six final laps of the race. That's always great and especially after a year without a victory," Rossi said after the race.
Rossi passed pole-sitter Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) to take the lead with 15 laps left and marched on to win in ease. Rossi's teammate and previous championships leader Maverick Vinales, who began 11th on the grid, crashed his Yamaha with 14 laps remaining.
Winner of past two rounds, Dovizioso finished the race on P5. Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) finished the race in sixth place ahead of Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team). Abraham had intense battle with Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) who completed the race eighth.
Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took some solid points in ninth and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the top ten.
The MotoGP season will now move to Sachsenring, Germany for the last race before the summer break on July 2.
