ASSEN: World championship leader Maverick Vinales rebounded from his struggles in Barcelona with the fastest time across the first two practice sessions on Friday ahead of the Dutch MotoGP. Andrea Dovizioso, who has closed to within seven points of Vinales after back-to-back wins in Italy and Spain, was fourth quickest with veteran Italian Valentino Rossi sixth on the second Yamaha. Nine-time world champion Rossi briefly led this year’s championship after three successive podium finishes in Qatar, Argentina and the United States. But the veteran Italian has slipped worryingly off the pace and is now fifth in the standings, 28 points behind Vinales. Rossi has seven wins in MotoGP at the Assen track which has staged a world championship round every year since 1949.

Source: New Strait Times June 23, 2017 18:11 UTC