After Australia 2018, Maverick Viñales has given Yamaha its first victory of the year at the ninth race of the calendar, the 2019 Dutch MotoGP, celebrated on last Sunday. Marc Marquez and pole holder Fabio Quartararo have completed the podium.

Andrea Dovizioso had to sweat out the fourth position after an intense battle with teammate Danilo Petrucci, who has finished sixth. In between the two Ducaties, the Yamaha satellite of Franco Morbidelli snuck in for fifth place. 

Regrettably, both Alex Rins, who had finally managed a good starting position and Valentino Rossi, crashed out of the race. This is the latter’s third consecutive Sunday out of the points. 

In sum a very well-deserved victory for Viñales, whose performance this season has been often put into question. The Spaniard has squeezed all the juice out of the Iwata machine, which has been unstoppable in the Netherlands, very much in contrast with his unfortunate teammate Rossi.

Another pilot making the most of the situation was Marquez. The Spaniard has been able to minimize the damage at such hostile territory. On top of that, he leaves Assen with 44 points more than Dovi in the standings.

Rins takes the lead before crashing

As lights went off, Alex Rins took the lead followed by an incredible Joan Mir. A few millimetres behind was Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Viñales, whom, loyal to his ways, lost two positions on the start.

The rider from Rosas was fourth, place that he would lose to Marquez shortly after. Rins tactic was obvious: to step up the pace and escape solo. And so he did until his fall at the end of the second lap.

Quartararo then inherited the privileged position but luck was short lived for the French driver as Marc Marquez immediately caught up with him setting the fastest lap at the same time and starting a battle for the lead. 

The leading pack at 21 laps to the finish line was made up of Quartararo, Marquez, Viñales, Mir and Dovizioso, the latter having joined the group after a breath-taking comeback. All things pointed to one of the members of the golden quartet to take the win at The Cathedral. Viñales, however, was losing some ground. 

Meanwhile, Quartararo and Marquez were not giving up an inch. A hair-rising combat unfolded between the two, until the Catalan finally left the Frenchman behind.

With just 15 laps to go, however, the French devil stole the lead from the Spaniard again. Viñales and Dovi kept third and fourth respectively. Petrucci completed the top 5 followed by Mir and Morbidelli. 

The trio made up of the Yamahas #20 and #12 and the Honda #93 then pulled clear of the rest. The showdown at the land of the tulips was fast approaching. 

Viñales, the strongest 

Viñales was at this point the pilot with the best pace and rhythm and the greatest threat to all other aspirants to the throne. Soon he had devoured both Marquez and Quartararo and started commanding the 2019 Dutch MotoGP effortlessly. 

The Frenchman on the other hand, battling with his unruly Yamaha, lost the pace and couldn’t keep up with the two Spaniards. Meanwhile, Petrucci, now in fourth, had eaten up his teammate Dovi. 

Spanish duel

Marquez and Viñales engaged in an epic battle with the latter losing the lead at just nine laps to go but taking it back almost immediately. Two Catalan heavyweights battling it out for glory and treating fans to a show of pure talent and strategy.

It was not only the lead that had suddenly turned into a boxing ring; a few meters behind a sensational Joan Mir climbed up to four leaving both the Ducaties of Dovi and Petrucci behind. 

A very hungry Mir was now approaching Quartaro. Meanwhile at the top Viñales set a brutal pace, opening up a half a second gap with Marc. A civil war had also broken out amongst the members of the Borgo Panigale team. 

Petrux, giving it all to have his contract renewed for 2020, passed his leader Dovi for the fourth position. Both Italian riders exchanged places several times on board their Desmosedici. Wonderful!

Viñales and his unbeatable Yamaha were cruising towards the champagne with just two laps to the chequered flag. Marquez and an outstanding Quartaro completed the podium. Dovi was fourth, Morbidelli fifth and his rebellious teammate sixth. 

Images of ‘2019 Dutch MotoGP’: MotoGP.com & Yamaha.