Having come into the Assen round 34 points clear in the championship standings, Fabio Quartararo was well on course to his second world title.
But a rare mistake led to him crashing out in the early stages while trying to pass title rival Aleix Espargaro.
Quartararo would crash for a second time a few laps later to register his first DNF since the 2021 Algarve GP.
Meanwhile, Espargaro recovered from dropping to 15th to finishing fourth and cutting Quartararo’s championship lead down to 21 points going into the summer break.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss how Quartararo’s mistake could affect him going forward and whether Espargaro is now in a much stronger position to battle for the title.
They also discuss Maverick Vinales’ breakthrough podium for Aprilia and the downturn for the Japanese manufacturers, as well as the latest rider market stories.
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