Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo had a tough race after weather played havoc with practice, gambling slightly on setup and not able to get into the front group. In that front group, the notable battle behind Viñales saw Rossi and Marc Marquez go head-to-head in a spectacular duel for P3. Marquez, uncharacteristically – for 2016, at least – unleashed, got the better of the Italian and set off after Crutchlow in second – before making a mistake when attacking the Brit and being forced to settle for fourth. Despite missing the podium, the rider from Cervera escaped the battle with a lead of exactly two race wins – 50 points – but Rossi nevertheless gained a little more ground.