Source: Red Bull.

Australian rising star Olly Simpson came agonisingly close to a maiden Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup podium at Assen in the Netherlands on Sunday, finishing fourth in a thrilling conclusion to the race weekend.

Simpson, now 16, is still waiting for his first podium, this time denied it by just 0.038 seconds in the race won by Bo Bendsneyder from Jorge Martín.

The contest for third was most intense and only sorted out at the final corner as Stefano Manzi claimed the honours from Simpson, Soushi Mihara, Bradley Ray and Manuel Pagliani.

“Getting closer,” he reflected. “It was hard work, a couple of times I had to pull us back up to the leading guys. I was going for the podium on the last lap but I juts out-braked myself slightly going into the last corner and Manzi had the better drive out and across the line.”

Soushi Mihara scored his second Rookies Cup victory with a masterful display of wet weather riding to take race one earlier in the weekend, while Simpson crashed out of a podium position.

Following five of 14 races, Martin leads the championship with Sissis back in eighth.