VALENTINO Rossi has claimed his fourth win of the season after he provided a master class in riding in the wet at Silverstone.

Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi claimed his first ever victory at Silverstone in the wet and has now opened up a 12-points lead in the MotoGP World Championship standings over team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi topped the wet Warm Up session as drama began before the lights went out as it was originally declared a dry race, but rain on the grid prompted every rider to return to the pits on their warm-up lap to swap to wet tyres.

Due to the circumstances, there was a 30-minute delay a total grid re-start rather than every starting from pit lane due to safety reasons.

Rossi moved his way up from 4th on the grid to take the lead on the second lap. The Italian passed his team-mate and main title rival Lorenzo at Village corner.

Trying to make a break, it was only Marc Marquez who had the pace to keep up with Rossi. Lap after lap Rossi and Marquez pulled away at the front opening up a 7 second gap from third placed Danilo Petrucci.

The 36-year-old Italian set a blistering pace in awful conditions which proved to be too much for Marquez. The reigning World Champion crashed out on lap 13 at Copse Corner to almost end any chance of defending his title. The Spaniard is now 77-points adrift of Rossin in the Championship with only six race remaining.

Rossi relaxed into a pace as Marquez crashed out, but it was the Ducati’s of Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso who began to close him down towards the end of the race. Petrucci reduced the gap to just 1.6s with two laps remining, but Rossi’s pit board pushed him to up the pace. The ‘Doctor’ went on to take the race win by 3.010s.

Octo Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci delivered an incredible ride to secure his first ever MotoGP podium as the leading Satellite rider. The Italian, starting from 18th on the grid, rode through the packbefore getting involved in the for second with Dovizioso on the factory Ducati Team GP15.

Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso completed an all-Italian podium to equal his best result of the season in Assen. Rossi’s main title rival and teammate Jorge Lorenzohad a frustrating race. The double MotoGP World Champion led into the first corner, but found himself back down the field at a rapid pace.

Dani Pedrosa on the second Repsol Honda battled hard throughout the race to secure fifth spot. The Spaniard started to drop back in the latter stages missing out on a chance of a podium.

Marc VDS’s Scott Reddingwon the ‘Battle of the Brits’ as he pulled off his the best result of his MotoGP career in front of his passionate home support. Fellow Brit Bradley Smith on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha was a further second back, after he enjoyed a race long battle with his teammate Pol Espargaro, before the Spaniard crashed out at turn 3 on lap 14.

Andrea Iannone finished in eighth ahead of the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR of Aleix Espargaro in ninth. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’sAlvaro Bautista secured the team’s first top-ten finish of their return to the premier class.

LCR Honda’s duo of Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller both made great starts to the race and found themselves battling for the final podium spot. Unfortunately Miller took out his British team-mate at Vale on the third lap – both were forced to retire.

Stefan Bradl also crashed out of the race with 8 laps to go.

Race results:

1. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 46:15.617
2. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing 46:18.627
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team 46:19.734
4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 46:21.343
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 46:26.749
6. Scott Redding GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 46:41.084
7. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 46:42.334
8. Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team 46:45.010
9. Aleix Espargaro ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar 46:54.432
10. Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini 46:57.329
11. Maverick Viñales ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar 47:0.393
12. Nicky Hayden USA Aspar MotoGP Team 47:8.106
13. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing 47:26.828
14. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing 47:30.909
15. Alex De Angelis RSM E-Motion IodaRacing 47:33.480
16. Loris Baz FRA Forward Racing 47:34.927
17. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP Team 47:35.352
18. Claudio Corti ITA Forward Racing 48:13.703
19. Karel Abraham CZE AB Motoracing +1 lap
DNF. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3
DNF. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team
DNF. Stefan Bradl GER Factory Aprilia Gresini
DNF. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda
DNF. Jack Miller AUS LCR Honda
DNF. Yonny Hernandez COL Octo Pramac Racing