Augusto Fernandez notched up a second successive Moto2 win after performing an Assen masterclass to move into the joint series lead with Celestino Vietti.
Fernandez took things carefully in the early stages of the encounter as he circulated within the top six, though he soon began to challenge for the rostrum spots as the contest approached mid-distance.
Having taken third from Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez and subsequently second after Marcel Schrotter crashed out from the lead, the KTM Ajo racer slid through on GasGas racer Albert Arenas to take the leadership with around a quarter of the race left to run.
The sophomore pilot continued to maintain pressure on Fernandez until team-mate and pole-man Jake Dixon slipped through to the runners-up spot as he looked to challenge for a maiden series win, though the move would afford Fernandez a crucial six-tenth-of-a-second lead over his rivals.
The battle for second hotted up as Ai Ogura moved through on both the Aspar men to become Fernandez’ closest threat – the Japanese rider having dropped all the way to 16th early on while struggling for rear grip – though the leader continued to hold steady out in front.
Ogura’s effort would ultimately prove fruitless as Fernandez took the chequered flag 0.660s clear of the Honda Team Asia man to move into the joint series lead with Vietti, who ended up taking fourth after charging through the top ten in the closing tours.
Dixon meanwhile rounded off the rostrum finishers as the Brit secured a second career Moto2 rostrum, while home hero Bo Bensneyder remained firmly in the podium tussle to the very end en-route to a strong fifth for the SAG Racing team.
Lopez – who led the opening third of the encounter – ended up sixth ahead of Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino, with the Italtrans entry of Joe Roberts coming home eighth.
Manuel Gonzalez moved up to ninth in the final stanza, while Gresini’s Filip Salac grabbed a maiden intermediate class top ten finish in tenth.
Front-row starter Sam Lowes saw his chances of a strong result ended after being forced out wide by Lopez at Turn 1 off the start, the Marc VDS man dropping all the way to the rear of the field before crashing out just a few laps later.
Cameron Beaubier was well in the fight to try and secure a first career rostrum until the closing stages before being taken out by Vietti at Turn 1 just a few circulations from home, while Arenas’ hopes were dashed after crashing from fourth just a couple laps from home.
Fernandez and Vietti head into the summer break level on 146 points at the head of the title tree, with Ogura just a single marker further behind.
