2021 MotoGP Round Nine Assen Quotes
Fabio Quartararo – P1
“I’m really happy, especially because during the weekend I did only bad starts, and I mean really bad, and I was actually a bit worried. But with the team we always get the job done and save the best for the race. Today it was like this, so I am so happy. It was a really good race. It was a tough one, but we did it. I think today is the perfect day to go on holiday after a victory. I will go see my family straight away to enjoy this moment and spend some time with them.”
Maverick Vinales – P2
“For me this was a great Sunday too! It‘s been a long time since I was last on the podium. It was good. Honestly, I‘m very happy. Actually, the second part of the race was fast. I was able to do fast laps, but I just expected a bit more from the beginning. I knew immediately when I was behind Nakagami for ten laps that I lost the race, because also the tyres suffered. Zarco was attacking me, and I was controlling the gap between me and Nakagami to make sure I wasn‘t overheating the tyres, so it was a very complicated race, but in the end, it finished in a good way.”
1 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 40:35.031
2 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +2.757
3 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +5.760
Joan Mir – P3
“I did everything I could to get a good result for the team and for myself ahead of the summer break; this podium is really important and we couldn’t ask for much more today. It wasn’t easy to get up to third, especially against the Ducatis, but I made a good start and tried to make clean passes. I had one or two moments that were a bit close to the limit and I’m sorry if I was too close sometimes. We’ve struggled more than we expected in the first half of the season, and it’s crucial to go into the break as close to the top guys as possible so I’m satisfied and today has given us a boost. There is still plenty of time to go this year, and we’re aiming to becoming more competitive, bring new parts, and be even closer to the top. Overall, we’re happy with how the season has been going, and this result brings a nice feeling to all of us.”
Johann Zarco – P4
“I am very satisfied. It was an extremely difficult race and we were able to handle it the best we could. At one point I even thought I could make the podium. All this makes me feel very confident and has given me greater certainty for the second part of the championship.”
Miguel Oliveira – P5
“A tough weekend but we’re happy to take home a 5th place and finish this period of four races in the top five and with decent points. This was the best we could hope for today and now we’ll take a rest. We’re fully motivated to continue the work once the summer break is over and we get into the second half of the season.”
Francesco Bagnaia – P6
“Today has probably been one of the most difficult races I’ve ever had in MotoGP. I tried hard to defend myself from Fabio, but it was clear I couldn’t stay with him when he passed me. In the first part of the circuit, I made up some ground, but I lost a lot from him in the last sector. It was hard fighting with Nakagami too. In my attempt to defend myself, I exceeded the track limits twice and had to serve a long lap penalty. At that point, it wasn’t easy to make up positions. I apologise to my team for this mistake, which I could have avoided, but today I really gave it all to try and bring home as many points as possible”.
Marc Marquez – P7
“I am very happy today, sure if you check the result and see seventh it’s not too impressive but when you start from 20th on the grid, it’s not too bad. I was pushing a lot in the opening lap and I was up to 12th. Then I made a mistake in the middle of the race and lost contact with the front group. From then I just focused on coming back and I was able to ride well until the end with a nice battle with Aleix Espargaro in the last laps as well. I was destroyed physically so could not challenge Pecco more. When I came back to the box I said thanks to the team and Honda because after Friday’s crash, they gave me the confidence again by changing some parameters with the TC and I was able to ride well. The potential of the bike was a podium if we had started in the front. Now for the summer break, time to rest and recover and come back stronger for the second half of the season.”
Aleix Espargaro – P8
“We can be proud of what we’ve done in this first half of the season. I had an outstanding pace again in this race, better than what we managed to put into practice. My fast lap at the end of the race when I was alone is demonstration of that. Unfortunately, when we are behind certain rivals, the difference in power makes it hard to overtake. The RS-GP accelerates well and has very little wheelie thanks to the aerodynamics, plus it is very competitive on all the sectors. We are truly very close to having a technical package that will let us battle for the podium in every single race. I know that the team is working hard and I’m sure that we’ll be able to count on a further evolution even before the end of the season.”
Takaaki Nakagami – P9
“This was quite a positive race. At the beginning of the race I was ready to go, ready to fight and I was in P3. I tried to overtake Bagnaia but it was really difficult and overall I’m happy about the race performance. Of course, in the middle of the race I had one big mistake and dropped positions and ending up in P9 was not the best result. But I’m happy about the feeling of the bike and it was nice to be in P2 and P3 during the race. I want to say thanks to the team and I’m really looking forward to the two races in Austria after the summer break.”
Pol Espargaro – P10
“I knew it would be a difficult race, I am still unable to overtake at the start of the race with a full tank of fuel. If I am alone, I can run with a good pace, like in Warm Up, but as soon as I am in trouble with other riders around – I am too defensive and I stop riding how I want to and I make mistakes. Again, we need to improve our Saturday to be in a better position for Sunday so we are not starting behind. The job for after the summer break is to improve Qualifying, but now we head to the break. The start of the season hasn’t been how I wanted so I am looking forward to this time to rest and reset.”
Alex Rins – P11
“I was very unlucky today because I made an incredible start and I felt able to fight for the Top three or four, I was with the lead group. Then in Turn 10 I went in like normal, when another rider arrived very fast and his winglet hit my arm, so the only thing I could do was pick up the bike to avoid crashing. If I hadn’t been there he would have run off for sure, but instead he hit me. But this situation was out of my hands, so I just had to try and do my best after that. My race pace was good and it allowed me to climb up to 11th. It’s a shame to have another race with unlucky circumstances, I’ve been fast in a lot of races but I’ve had crashes and incidents that have prevented me getting good results, but now we’ll go into the break and come back stronger and more ready for part two.”
Brad Binder – P12
“Difficult race for me. Starting in 21st and trying to pass the guys in the beginning, and then I clearly didn’t have the speed in the first stages of the race. As the laps went down I started to improve my riding at different points on the track and went quicker. At the end I could match my quickest time on the last lap. I’m glad I made an improvement, but I lost too much time early on. It was an up-and-down weekend and I got a bit lost but I gave ‘my all’ in the race. I was a bit disappointed with 12th but we’ll re-group and come back stronger in the next phase of the season.”
Danilo Petrucci – P13
“In the end we were able to score some points. It was a difficult race because at the beginning I had to recover many positions and I had a lot of fights. I maybe used the rear tyre too much and was not able to stick with Brad [Binder] in front of me. But anyway, regarding the fact that I had to start from P18, it was good to finish and get some points. I gave my best. For sure we have to improve Qualifying for the next races.”
Álex Márquez – P14
“I’m sad about the race today, I struggled a lot and didn’t enjoy it. It was a long race for me physically, when you don’t have the bike in hand and it’s not stable it’s very difficult. We made some changes in the warm-up that were maybe not the best solution, but in the warm-up I felt a bit better. The first time here on a MotoGP bike at Assen is difficult and maybe this is not the best track for our bike. Now, we have the summer break and it will be good for me and the team to rest, recharge batteries and come up with an action plan to improve in the second part of the season. We’ll be ready.”
Enea Bastianini – P15
“It was a good race, but I spent a lot of energy, and it was hard to get to the end. In the early stages I lost some time, but when I relaxed and let go, I felt more comfortable. We didn’t have a bad race, we probably need to improve a bit to find the limit of this bike. Now we have a few weeks to rest and to train because MotoGP is very tiring, both physically and mentally.”
Lorenzo Savadori – P16
“My race was conditioned primarily by the time lost at the beginning in the battle with Bastianini, where I was unable to maintain my lines and my pace. In the central part of the race, staying in the slipstream for a long time, the front pressure went up a bit and I was forced to slow my pace. In the finale I was back to lapping well, but it was too late by then and that is truly a pity.”
Garrett Gerloff – P17
“It had its difficulties for sure, like trying to remember the start procedure on the bike and understanding what the cold brakes would be like going into the first corner. I’m happy that I made it to the finish line, but I am a little disappointed with how far back I was. I was able to stay with Luca [Marini] at the start of the race, although I wish I could have passed him a little earlier as the others were just ahead and maybe I could have latched onto them. I am happy with today though and being able to finish my first MotoGP race. I just want to thank Petronas Yamaha SRT for the opportunity to ride their bike, to be here this weekend and I wish all the best to Franco in his recovery.”
Luca Marini – P18
“Today I struggled a lot. After free practice I chose the medium tire for the race, I felt confident, but with less grip it was not the best option. Like the other Ducatis, I had a lot of movement on the bike under acceleration that I had to manage. A shame and something to work on for the next races. In FP4 I didn’t feel comfortable on the hard, but with the medium I was able to ride as I wanted. Today with the wind it was more difficult. It’s time to enjoy a few days of relaxation and we’ll get back to work in Austria. I’m looking forward to it.”
Iker Lecuona – DNF
“I felt strong in the race. I overtook some riders but lost a lot of time fighting with another rider. There I lost the contact to the front group but my pace good enough to stay in P11. I was fighting with Pol Espargaro but then he started to push a lot and I couldn’t follow him anymore. At least I managed to defend my position and then I made a mistake. I touched the white line and lost the front. I need to say sorry: I had a very strong weekend but it was also important to finish the race before the summer break. I didn’t finish but, in general, I’m still happy about my improvements.”
Jorge Martín – DNF
“Unfortunately, for two races in a row, I have been restrained by my physical condition. I had a good race pace and could have made the top ten but I still haven’t completely recovered. The break we now have will help a great deal; I will be back in Austria in perfect health.”
Valentino Rossi – DNF
“The result today is a shame because my pace this weekend was not too bad and I could have had a decent race. Unfortunately I had a bad start and we had changed something in the strategy, which meant I did not feel at 100%. When you are behind it is hard because it creates problems with the front tyre, you lose some grip. I managed some overtakes and then pushed to join the group but I lost the front. I’m lucky though because it was a high-speed crash but I am fine. In this first half of the season we expected to be more competitive, have a bit more speed and be able to fight for better positions but there have been some races where I am not too bad.”
Jack Miller – DNF
“This is definitely not the easiest track for us, but I was hoping for a different ending to this weekend. Unfortunately, at turn five, there was a bit of confusion with Nakagami and Mir, and in an attempt to avoid a possible contact, I braked too early and lost control of the front, which caused me to crash. At that moment, I was maybe more focused on what was happening in front of me and not on my riding, and obviously, I am annoyed about this mistake. It’s a pity because it was important to get some points today, but it is what it is. We are not far behind in the Championship, so now we have to move on and try to get back to winning ways in the next two races scheduled in Austria after the summer break”.
Team Managers
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director
“It‘s been a perfect weekend at the Assen track for us, and a perfect way to close the first half of the season. We thought it was going to be a fight between Maverick and Fabio, but in the end, it didn‘t quite come to that. Once Fabio made his move on Bagnaia stick, he saw the opportunity to break away and took it. His strategy was faultless, and he managed the race perfectly, so these 25 points were totally deserved. Maverick‘s start lost him some time and cost him the opportunity to fight for the win. But we can only admire his multitasking skills today. He was holding off Zarco and at the same time trying to find a way through on Nakagami. That‘s a difficult balancing act, and in the end his efforts were rewarded with a really positive second place. This 1-2 is great for Yamaha and is a direct result of everyone’s hard work over the first half of the season. It‘s Yamaha’s 750th and 751st premier class podium, and it’s like a gift to all of us because we can now start the summer break on a high note as we look forward to the second half of the season.”
Shinichi Sahara – Suzuki Project Leader and Team Director
“Our riders started from the third and fourth rows today but they both recovered quickly at the beginning of the race. Unfortunately Alex was pushed out by another rider but luckily he was OK and he managed to make a good comeback and get some valuable points for the championship so we’re pleased. Joan was very consistent and he did a great job, especially from 10th on the grid. He achieved his third podium of the year, which is a really nice result to end the first half of the season. We know we still have room for improvement so we won’t rest in the break, but we’re happy with today’s efforts.”
Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager
“It was a very tough race today, but Joan did an incredible race from 10th on the grid and he got a podium which was a really good result. This means that we can restart after the summer break with a positive mindset. Alex was unlucky today, because for sure he had podium potential but the incident prevented this. He did very well to recover and bring home some points, he made the best of a bad situation. In the factory we will seize the summer break to work on some improvements for the second half of the season, and we will come back with strong attitude.”
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager
“We knew this track would be tricky for us. We didn’t race here last year and then FP2 was wet so we lost some valuable track time. When you cannot achieve all your goals but also score 5th position we have to be happy. Miguel was strong in that group and Brad suffered from qualifying. He was a rookie here on the KTM RC16 but was making good lap-times by the end. It was some more experience for him. Iker was having such a good weekend and his crash was a shame. We feel sorry for him because it had been a good performance. Danilo was just behind Brad and, overall, we need to think about what we can do better. Now we have the summer break and it’s good for everybody because it has been a demanding season so far with the travel restrictions. We have two riders in the top ten in the championship and Miguel has been one of the top points scorers from the last four races. We’ve made good progress and it’s a nice situation to be in when we next come together for two home GPs.”
Razlan Razali – Petronas SRT Team Principal
“It was a good effort from Garrett, who is filling in for Franco this weekend, to end the race 17th, in his first experience of a full MotoGP weekend. We wish Franco a speedy recovery and hope to have him back stronger soon. It is a shame that Rossi had his crash, because his pace this weekend has been good.”
Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager
“Not the way we expected to finish the first part of the championship here in Assen. We’ve been quite competitive all though practices and even Qualifying. We knew the lap times were going to be very close and it’s going to be a long and tough race, but nevertheless, I think both, Iker and Danilo got a pretty good start, gained some positions and we were really pleased to see Iker fighting with what we can call the front group. Until he lost the front in the last chicane, he was holding a strong 11th position behind Pol Espargaro, opening the gap on the guys behind him and we were quite happy. The lap times have been impressive, but unfortunately, we couldn’t see the chequered flag, so that’s no points.”
“On the other side Danilo put his head down with a tough grid position. He managed to do a few overtakes and had a strong rhythm, but that couldn’t be any better than 13th, which is right behind Brad Binder, who is a kind of reference for us. I think he gave all he had. He was pretty exhausted at the end of the race. This is a very tough track to pass, we could see that. Still, I think it’s a lot better than a few races to go for our two guys.”
“Now it’s time to have a rest for the two riders and the team. We will restart in Austria, which is KTM home territory, where we have an incredible memory of last year – the first ever win for Tech3 in the MotoGP class and the first ever win for Miguel Oliveira in MotoGP class. I don’t want to say we aim to repeat that, but we go there with high hopes, knowing that the bike is competitive there and there is no reason we shouldn’t be fighting in the top 10 again with our two guys. I wish some good holidays to the whole team!”
2021 Assen MotoGP Race Results
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | 40m35.031 |
| 2 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +2.757 |
| 3 | Joan MIR | Suzuki | +5.76 |
| 4 | Johann ZARCO | Ducati | +6.13 |
| 5 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | +8.402 |
| 6 | Francesco BAGNAIA | Ducati | +10.035 |
| 7 | Marc MARQUEZ | Honda | +10.11 |
| 8 | Aleix ESPARGARO | Aprilia | +10.346 |
| 9 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | +12.225 |
| 10 | Pol ESPARGARO | Honda | +18.565 |
| 11 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | +21.372 |
| 12 | Brad BINDER | KTM | +21.676 |
| 13 | Danilo PETRUCCI | KTM | +27.783 |
| 14 | Alex MARQUEZ | Honda | +29.772 |
| 15 | Enea BASTIANINI | Ducati | +32.785 |
| 16 | Lorenzo SAVADORI | Aprilia | +37.573 |
| 17 | Garrett GERLOFF | Yamaha | +53.213 |
| 18 | Luca MARINI | Ducati | +1m06.791 |
| Not Classified | |||
| DNF | Iker LECUONA | KTM | 8 Laps |
| DNF | Jack MILLER | Ducati | 8 Laps |
| DNF | Jorge MARTIN | Ducati | 12 Laps |
| DNF | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 19 Laps |
2021 MotoGP Standings
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Bike | Points |
| 1 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | FRA | 156 |
| 2 | Johann ZARCO | Ducati | FRA | 122 |
| 3 | Francesco BAGNAIA | Ducati | ITA | 109 |
| 4 | Joan MIR | Suzuki | SPA | 101 |
| 5 | Jack MILLER | Ducati | AUS | 100 |
| 6 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | SPA | 95 |
| 7 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | POR | 85 |
| 8 | Aleix ESPARGARO | Aprilia | SPA | 61 |
| 9 | Brad BINDER | KTM | RSA | 60 |
| 10 | Marc MARQUEZ | Honda | SPA | 50 |
| 11 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | JPN | 41 |
| 12 | Pol ESPARGARO | Honda | SPA | 41 |
| 13 | Franco MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | ITA | 40 |
| 14 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | SPA | 33 |
| 15 | Alex MARQUEZ | Honda | SPA | 27 |
| 16 | Enea BASTIANINI | Ducati | ITA | 27 |
| 17 | Danilo PETRUCCI | KTM | ITA | 26 |
| 18 | Jorge MARTIN | Ducati | SPA | 23 |
| 19 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | ITA | 17 |
| 20 | Luca MARINI | Ducati | ITA | 14 |
| 21 | Iker LECUONA | KTM | SPA | 13 |
| 22 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | GER | 11 |
| 23 | Lorenzo SAVADORI | Aprilia | ITA | 4 |
| 24 | Michele PIRRO | Ducati | ITA | 3 |
| 25 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | SPA | 1 |
2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar
June 23 Update
| Round | Date | Location |
| Round 10 | Aug-8 | Styria, Red Bull Ring |
| Round 11 | Aug-15 | Austria, Red Bull Ring |
| Round 12 | Aug-29 | Great Britain, Silverstone |
| Round 13 | Sep-12 | Aragon, Motorland Aragon |
| Round 14 | Sep-19 | San Marino, Misano |
| Round 15 | Oct-03 | Americas, Circuit of the Americas |
| Round 16 | Oct-17 | Thailand, Chang International Circuit |
| Round 17 | Oct-24 | Australia, Phillip Island |
| Round 18 | Oct-31 | Malaysia, Sepang |
| Round 19 | Nov-14 | Valencia, Circuit Ricardo Tormo |
Source: MCNews.com.au