Assen MotoGP: Motorsport.com's rider ratings
A two-part race held in torrential conditions, several high profile crashes and a shock winner in Jack Miller - there will be plenty to remember this year's Dutch TT for. Valentin Khorounzhiy rates the field.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Jorge Lorenzo – 5
Having not looked at his best in the early sessions of the weekend, Lorenzo was completely, hopelessly out of shape when the rain arrived. But while his pace was shocking, the reigning champion deserves credit for staying on as half the field crashed, handing him six vital points in a race where he really had no right to score any.
Valentino Rossi – 6
Even without the backdrop of his teammate struggling massively, Rossi was doing a spectacular job in whatever conditions threw at him. He would've certainly won if he didn't crash – but crash he did, and the points haul that was lost will be very hard to make up.
Marc Marquez – 8
Marquez did not do himself any favours with the qualifying crash, nor was he anywhere near quickest in either half of the race. But he went about it in a smart way, took no unnecessary risks and ran exactly the best race he could have for his championship hopes.
Dani Pedrosa – 5
A horror show of a weekend for the most part – he came nowhere near Q2 on merit and probably wouldn't have made it in the dry either – but Pedrosa found serious pace in the first half of the race, lapping five seconds quicker than the leaders. If the rain didn't pick up, chances are he would have won the race. Instead, his advantage evaporated and he fell after the restart.
Andrea Iannone – 7
Was seriously quick in all kinds of conditions all weekend – and if there was ever a race to start at the back of the grid for, it was this one. Iannone did fall right before the rain reached torrential levels, but stayed in the race and picked up an against-odds top-five finish.
Andrea Dovizioso – 6
His pole time was scintillating, his pace in the first half was formidable, but it will all count for nothing in the points standings after he fell off while chasing Rossi. Still, it's an understandable mistake to make – at this point in the season, Ducati's riders should be going for broke every time there's even a slim chance of victory.
Maverick Vinales - 5
Clearly quite strong in the dry conditions, but had minimal confidence in the bike on a wet track. Given how far back he was after lap 1, ninth isn't a terrible result – but Vinales has had much better days aboard the GSX-RR.
Aleix Espargaro – 5
Aprilia's new signing got the better of his current teammate in qualifying and ran as high as third early in the race – but slumped even lower than Vinales by the restart, before crashing out for good. The Suzuki duo are too good to be this slow without there being something seriously wrong - the bike, the conditions, the set-up or something else entirely.
Cal Crutchlow – 6
Qualified very well and found good pace by the end of the opening half of the race but, having had a rather difficult time staying on the bike in 2016, he was among the first to fold after the restart. Crutchlow is clearly very rapid, but that just isn't good for much if he doesn't make the finish line.
Bradley Smith – 4
Trailed his teammate in every session of the weekend and couldn't follow him through to Q2. Crashed in the race, even if he did manage to rejoin and pick up two points despite finishing three laps down. Simply put, Smith has been playing second fiddle far too often in 2016 so far.
Pol Espargaro – 8
After fighting through from Q1, looked like he was a legitimate shout for pole, but didn't get a final lap together. Pol didn't seem at his quickest at Assen, but that didn't really matter - not when he, yet again, put himself in a position to profit from crashes up ahead. Remarkably, commendably consistent.
Danilo Petrucci – 9
Petrucci's reputation as a superb rain rider will have been bolstered by Assen, even if he got outqualified by Redding and didn't finish because of an engine problem. The Italian did a fantastic job to muscle his way into the lead when the downpour arrived – and he deserved so much better than a DNF.
Scott Redding – 9
Pramac's duo were simply on fire this past weekend – in the dry, too, but mostly in the rain. And Redding's measured approach paid dividends – he started both halves of the race easing himself into the conditions and, in both cases, was flying by the end. Deserved a podium after the amount of rotten luck he's had in 2016 so far.
Yonny Hernandez – 7
Yes, Hernandez crashed. Twice, even before the restart. But the sight of him storming into the lead at the start of the race and maintaining the gap to the factory sharks is surely worth more than any of the points gone begging. A hero for a few fleeting minutes, even if his place in the standings is still pretty terrible.
Jack Miller – 10
A crash in qualifying? Nobody will remember. Eight points in the previous six races? Nobody will remember that either. Miller wrote his name in the history books, and in one afternoon fully justified Honda's decision to have brought him to the top class straight from Moto3 back in 2015. His performance was pitch perfect and his pace in the late-race conditions was nothing short of sublime.
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