On Saturday evening, after qualifying had wrapped up, I was certain of who would win the 2021 Dutch MotoGP race. Or rather, I was certain of the bike that would win it. Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo qualified first and second after dominating every single free practice session, which was an incredible turnaround for Vinales and business as usual for Quartararo. The fastest ever lap around Assen on a MotoGP bike heading into the weekend was a 1:32.0, set by Quartararo in 2019; that time was beaten five times during qualifying, twice by poleman Vinales and three times by his teammate. The factory Yamaha riders were looking menacing and confident, and it would take some miracle to usurp them.
A miracle there was not. Quartararo roared home to his fourth win of the season to extend his championship lead heading into the Summer break, while Vinales recovered from a poor start to take second place. It was a strong, consistent ride from the winner, and a surprisingly level-headed performance from Vinales given his shockingly poor performance last week in Germany. Amidst rumours of a shock exit from the Yamaha squad and media scrums berating him for coming dead last the previous race, Vinales was able to keep his head down and take a solid podium for just the second time this season.
The rumours of a split with Yamaha ended up being true. Having ridden for the Japanese factory since 2017, Vinales’ time with the boys in blue will come to an end at the conclusion of the 2021 season, a full year before his contract was supposed to expire. Vinales denies any ties to Aprilia as his ride for next season, but it’s hardly like he has a choice at this point. There are now only two factory positions still available for next year, one being the seat Vinales just vacated, and a rider of his calibre would be unlikely to depart from a cushy factory position just to settle for a satellite seat in an unfamiliar factory. Additionally, his lack of ties with KTM or the VR46 project almost assures the move to Aprilia.
It seems like a move of desperation, a withered rider trying to escape a ride he’s no longer happy with and taking the only available option, but it may actually be a stroke of genius. Aprilia have stepped up the quality of their bike astronomically in the last year, bringing a bike that can truly compete with the other manufacturers, and in the hands of a rider like Vinales they may be able to do some serious damage in 2022. Additionally, we’ve seen how moving from a project you’re not happy with to a bike that fits your style better can rejuvenate a riders career. Zarco did the same thing in 2019, leaving KTM and being swept up by Ducati, and it has led to some of his most consistent and successful results since he joined the premier class. This will surely give hope to Vinales, and from what we saw on Sunday he may desperately need that hope.
Reigning champion Mir came home in third, adding another podium to his results for the season. The Suzuki rider has been fighting with the bike all season, and it was perhaps most visible in the Dutch race. The Suzuki has lost its smooth, silky style that it maintained for the second half of 2020, and now looks unbelievably difficult to ride. The main issue appears to be the lack of a rear transforming device. Now that all 5 other factories have access to this technology, the Suzukis are being forced to play catchup in almost every corner, and the result it proving rather punishing for both riders. Mir will be hoping for something to change during the Summer break, or else he faces an extremely difficult fight to retain his title.
It was a mixed race for the Ducati trio currently trying to chase down Quartararo’s championship lead. Bagnaia started off strong, battling the Frenchman for the lead, but an early track limits violation and subsequent long lap penalty meant the Italian was effectively ruled out of the fight for the podium. Zarco briefly made it into the podium standings but was unable to fend of Mir in the later stages, finishing fourth in the end. Miller was worst off, crashing out in what he described as a lapse in concentration, and leaving him pointless for the second time this season. It was a race of damage limitations for the three of them, at a track that has historically not favoured the Ducati, and the points scored by Zarco and Bagnaia will help to keep them in the hunt during the second half of the season, but they still paled in comparison to the dominant Yamaha man.
Marc Marquez had another brave weekend, proving that his recovery process is working for him. While his win last time out was rather incredible, coming home in seventh a week later was arguably more impressive. It was a gutsy ride, with Marc not showing any fear in battling with other riders and taking risks when needed. It was reminiscent of the Marquez many of us remember, though he clearly has a long way to go before we see him regularly fighting for podiums and wins. Still, it was a welcome sight for many fans to see him unafraid and battling with the best.
With Assen done and dusted, the paddock now gets a month-long break to rest, recover and begin preparing for the second half of the season. The championship is still very much Quartararo’s to lose, but he has the likes of Zarco, Bagnaia, Mir and Miller to contend with, and that’s not even mentioning the resurgent KTMs or the unpredictable Marquez. For now, though, I hope everyone in the community has a great holiday and personally look forward to racing resuming in Austria in a month’s time.
Solomon Talks Bikes 