Assen, Netherlands: MotoGP Pre-Race Report
The Assen Grand Prix has arrived and this year it will be featured on Sunday rather than Saturday. The historic race will see Marc Marquez leading the championship with Lorenzo and Rossi biting at the back of his heels as they go head to head for the MotoGP title. In amongst this is the news of Alex Rins signing with Team Suzuki Ecstar leaving current rider Aleix Espargaro to find a new team. Cal Crutchlow has also renewed with LCR Honda for another year. If there is anyone that is riding with redemption it is Marc Marquez. His turbulent previous season has been quite sweet in 2016 so far for the Spanish rider. Marc leads by 10 points going in to this weekend’s race.
Marc tested some new parts on his bike but will be using the same bike he raced with on Sunday in Montmelo for the Dutch event. The confidence and happiness with the bike are essential ingredients for any rider in order to succeed. Marc feels good about his chances. The Honda rider knows how to beat Lorenzo and Rossi with his calculated yet aggressive manoeuvres and will be putting on a show for the crowd when the battles commence. Expect ridiculous lean angles and Marc sliding his bike around the circuit. On the other hand, Rossi is very excited about racing this weekend and is looking forward to continuing his progress with his Yamaha squad. Rossi will be patient and remain focused even with his memories of last year, where he won on the Bridgestone tyre. 2015 at Assen was magic for the Doctor. This year it will be completely different as Michelin is the tyre supplier and the unknown sometimes throws a spanner in the works!
Congratulations are in order for Cal Crutchlow as he is set to be a father in about a month’s time with his wife Lucy pregnant with their first child. It is an exciting time for the LCR Honda rider and even more with the signing of another contract for 2017. Crutchlow has had a rough season and is in need of a fresh start. As a team with only one rider, the spotlight is on his back every race as the team works around the clock with the goal of bagging top results. The British rider is craving a podium finish and is more than capable of this, as we know with his previous history in the premier class. In terms of other contractual signing news, Alex Rins is making the jump to the MotoGP in 2017!
Rins will be joining a team where they have had a taste of success with Maverick Vinales. Mav is going to Yamaha and is positive that Rins will fit in to the team just like he did. The expectation is enormous for the young Spaniard and the world will be watching how his Moto2 season pans out whilst thinking of how he will debut on board the Suzuki machinery. Rins is definitely a good choice for the Japanese manufacturer. Unfortunately, injured rider Loris Baz will sit out once again as he recuperates from that nasty foot injury. He is expected to be back soon. Finally, Jorge Lorenzo is aiming for glory after experiencing a shocking finish at the Barcelona Grand Prix. Lorenzo wants to improve and focus on finishing strong at Assen where he has had some bad luck in the past. The job is to win and regain points from Marquez and go further forward from Valentino. Let the predictions begin!
