Rossi: Zarco tried something impossible

Movistar Yamaha's Valentino Rossi said Johann Zarco 'tried something impossible' as the pair clashed once again in the Dutch TT at Assen.

Rossi, who previously had a run in with the premier class rookie at Austin, Texas, had the tyre marks on his leathers as proof of their collision when they touched during the race as the double Moto2 champion tried to force his way past.

"About Zarco, I started to think that he is not a bad guy, it's just that he don't understand the size between one bike and the other because also today, like in Austin, he tried something impossible," Rossi said.

"I don't know why - it was just my line. But for me, when you try to overtake another one you have to calculate also that the other one cannot disappear. So he was a lot in delay and he take me on the leathers. It's aggressive, until everything is good it's like this. Like Marc [Marquez] says, this is MotoGP and everybody has to be aggressive and it is like this."

Rossi closed out his tenth victory at Assen and his 115th Grand Prix win overall to close the deficit in the MotoGP World Championship to seven points, with Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso becoming the new leader after Maverick Vinales came off at the chicane.

The Italian rider was locked in battle with Danilo Petrucci for the win and although the Pramac Ducati rider was right on his tail as they exited the chicane on the final lap, Rossi still found time to celebrate, leading some to claim he took a slight risk with Petrucci so close behind.

The Doctor explained: "About Danilo, I pushed a lot and I braked tight to the last chicane. Yes, maybe I celebrate, but at that moment I think it is impossible with the MotoGP in acceleration to overtake from the chicane to the line."