Rivacold Snipers Team’s Andrea Migno was the fastest rider in Moto3™ Warm Up at the Motul TT Assen as he and fellow Italian Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) dip below the 1:42s bracket on Sunday morning. 0.079s splits the duo, Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) is inside the top three, as World Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is declared fit to race.
Maverick Viñales’ (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) stellar weekend at the Motul TT Assen only continued on Saturday, the 2019 winner at the track once again flexing his speed to top the timesheets and this time for pole position – with a new all-time lap record to boot. Just 0.071 kept Top Gun ahead of teammate Fabio Quartararo in a close-fought Yamaha 1-2- at the Cathedral, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the front row via Q1.
Maverick Vinales – P1
“We worked hard since FP1 and there was great grip on the bike, so I could be competitive and fast. Overall, this weekend has been good. I‘m very happy, honestly. The bike is working fantastic. I‘m really happy with all the work we did during the weekend. In the first three practices I was first, and I think that tomorrow we will have a good opportunity to fight for the podium.”
Fabio Quartararo – P2
“I’m not complaining about being in second place. I’m feeling happy. I know that we have the pace to fight for the victory tomorrow, so that is the most important. I got a front row, even though I didn’t have a great feeling with the soft rear tyre all weekend, and I feel like this was a great lap time. For me, I did the best I could on that tyre, and we achieved a great result, but our work in FP4 was more important, because we achieved a really great race pace. I feel good and I feel confident, so I can’t wait for tomorrow, honestly. I’m full of adrenaline, I think we can do super well.”
Francesco Bagnaia – P3
“I’m thrilled because today we were able to make big steps forward compared to yesterday. Since this morning’s FP3, we have consistently improved our pace, and we have achieved our goal of starting from the front row tomorrow. Quartararo and Viñales are still on another level right now, with incredible race pace, but we’re also working to take another step forward for the race, and I’m sure we’ll be able to do it”.
Takaaki Nakagami – P4
“It’s a great result for us and personally I want to say thanks to my team, because it was difficult for a long time and now we’re back in Parc Ferme and it’s a nice feeling. The most important thing this weekend is that we have a good feeling on the bike and the confidence is there. P4 is a great result and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s race. Hopefully I’ll bring home a great result.”
Johann Zarco – P5
“I am happy enough. This morning I only just missed out on Q2 and I was a little disappointed. In the afternoon I was able to make the most of the tires, in Q1 as well as in Q2, and I will be starting from the second row which is good.”
Miguel Oliveira – P6
“A tough qualifying. We have done a lot of work with the bike and tried a lot of ideas to help me go faster. We found a good compromise for agility and the grip but it’s not easy. We knew this would be a hard track for us but so far it has been quite positive. A second-row position is quite nice, and we have a long race ahead of us tomorrow. We’re looking forward to doing a good job.”
Alex Rins – P7
“Luckily I’m fine after the crash, it was a small off and my arm didn’t take any more damage. It was a shame because I was aiming for the second row and I was very close to it when I went down, but the sessions have been good today, especially FP3 & FP4, and I’ve enjoyed the feeling with the bike. I’ve tried the different tyre options and worked quite a lot towards tomorrow, but so far we’re still not sure what we’ll use for the race. The Yamahas are very strong, but I think I’m able to fight in the lead group if all goes well.”
Jack Miller – P8
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take advantage of my last lap with the soft tyre because of the yellow flags, and that will force me to start from the third row tomorrow. This is definitely not a track where I feel particularly comfortable, but I will try to do my best in the race as always. The last sector doesn’t really suit my riding style, but we have a better idea of how to deal with it in the race after the qualifying. Tomorrow it will be important to get a good start to disrupt the pace of the frontrunners in the early stages and thus have a chance to attack in the final laps”.
Aleix Espargaro – P9
“I wasn’t particularly brilliant in qualifying. I am unable to make the difference with the soft rear, but we are very competitive in terms of pace. I was fast and consistent in both FP3 and FP4. I don’t see a lot of riders wit a better pace, although things could shift in the race tomorrow. Starting from the ninth spot is never simple, but I expect a rather compact group, where it will be possible to battle for an important result. A good start will be fundamental in order to make up some positions straight away, whereas I’ll have to save my energy a bit over race distance. These bikes are rather physical to ride with a lot of load, especially on a track with this type of layout.”
Joan Mir – P10
“Overall the day has been positive, but I’m a bit disappointed about the qualifying as usual, because that’s the lowest position I’ve been in all weekend and my time in Q2 was better than my time in FP3 where I was Top 5. But it’s like this, and now we need to focus on improving on our qualifying performance because the bike has good potential and this track could be good for us because our race pace is decent. I will need to fight hard tomorrow from this grid position to get myself in a good place and finish as high as possible. I’ve done it before so I know I can do it again, but it’s always tougher and more unpredictable when you have to come through the pack, so it will be difficult.”
Pol Espargaro – P11
“Today we did not deliver in Qualifying, we should have been on the front two rows at least. I made a mistake with the front tyre, I used the soft front twice and this was not the right things to do. This is what happens when we have such a short pre-season and we aren’t able to make these mistakes during a test, we have to make them during a race weekend and put ourselves in this difficult situation. We have been flying all weekend, but now starting so far back it will be difficult tomorrow. Anyway, let’s see what happens on Sunday.”
Valentino Rossi – P12
“Today was quite positive for us because I have had a good pace from the beginning of this morning and I have felt good with the bike. We have continued to work on the settings, because we don’t feel that they are 100%, but in the end I did a very good lap in FP3 and went straight to Q2. FP4 was also a positive session, as I did some good lap times at the end of it with the hard rear and had good pace. I was hoping to improve my time slightly in Q2 by two or three tenths but, alone on track, I was unable to do so. Now we have to wait to see what the conditions are tomorrow to understand which tyre to use, but I hope it is dry. We will need to get a good start, be strong in the opening laps and stay with the group, hopefully this way we can have a good race.”
Iker Lecuona – P13
“I felt quite strong, especially on my fastest lap. On the first run I made a mistake in sector one and without this I think I could have done a high 1:32 again. The bike was working very well, we have a lot of potential. I’m quite happy, thanks to the team as well, because we all have been working very well this weekend. I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
Jorge Martín – P14
“It’s been a good day, we worked substantially in FP3 and FP4 on the race-pace and I am satisfied. My physical condition still is not 100% and I lack some experience but I am happy with how we are working and I am seeing improvements day by day.”
Lorenzo Savadori – P15
“Qualifying didn’t go too badly, although we are not as incisive as I’d like to be on the first sector. On the rest of the track, on the other hand, I’m able to be pretty competitive, but with such narrow gaps, we need to get close to perfection. The crash in FP4 was similar in dynamics to the one on the Sachsenring. In fact, we were trying the same change to the bike’s geometry. For the race, we’ll obviously take a step back in this regard, also trying to recover a bit on T1 because we have the potential to finish in the points.”
Álex Márquez – P16
“Second day here and for qualifying we made some good improvements on yesterday. In race pace we’re still missing a bit and it was not the best qualifying, although I gave it my everything. Again, I made a few mistakes and need to improve on the one lap, but we are not bad and are trying step by step to be there. If we can improve the grip tomorrow we can have a good race, I’ll give 100 percent and we’ll have to see what the rain forecast is. In general, I’m quite happy with the bike, we need to improve the rear grip, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow and being aggressive from the beginning.”
Luca Marini – P17
“Overall it has been a good qualifying and we are doing well, we always try to make the most of our potential. We are still working in this direction, we are missing something in the fast parts, all the Ducatis are struggling, and we hope that some of them will find a modification to have more stability. We are growing, I am happy, the level is extremely high, the bikes are constantly evolving, but step by step we are there. I am very happy with the relationship with the team and I feel good.”
Danilo Petrucci – P18
“Unfortunately, I touched the green out of the last corner on what was a really strong lap. A lap later, I missed the chequered flag and another try by just a second. Unluckily this means we have another P18 on the grid, which is not a great place to start. Anyway, we know that we have a good pace and will try to recover as many positions as possible tomorrow.”
Enea Bastianini – P19
“It has been a difficult day. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as we expected, so we will have to work for tomorrow because there is something wrong and we have to understand why. Tomorrow I will start 19th and I will do my best to get a good result.”
Marc Marquez – P20
“My body was feeling the crash of yesterday and it just made everything more difficult in the end. The morning started well, I felt good in FP3 and FP4 and then in Qualifying the feeling with the first tyre wasn’t so good, but I felt better with the second. I couldn’t finish the lap, this can happen in Qualifying when you are pushing, I lost the front and I fell. I wasn’t really riding how I wanted today. Tomorrow will be difficult; 20th is not our place at all. Starting this far back will be tricky but we will do what we can and learn as much as possible. I also have to thank Honda for their fast work, after yesterday they brought a solution to our Traction Control concerns today and it has helped – this is Honda.”
Brad Binder – P21
“A really difficult FP4 and qualifying, even if we did do a lot of laps and worked hard to find our way. I had an issue with the softer tire and some stability after a few laps but when we put in the harder tire the feeling was quite OK. In qualifying I couldn’t even complete one good lap and that’s why we’re 21st. It will have to be a hell of a fightback tomorrow.”
Garrett Gerloff – P22
“I’m a little frustrated because I think I could have put my sectors together better across one lap and I didn’t do that, but it’s not too bad. Every time I go out I’m trying to learn something new and get used to the bike more. The team has been amazing, we’ve been making really good progress every time I’m out on track and the bike is feeling even more comfortable than it did. In the beginning it was very different from what I was expecting but we’re working in a good way. It would have been nice to be higher on the grid, but I’m doing the best that I can. My goal was to keep improving and so far I’ve done that. Tomorrow I’m hoping I can ride with someone and see their lines, learn some things and maybe make a couple of passes – that would be really good.”
Q1 Notes
Q1 had some big names including the aforementioned Bagnaia, Sachsenring winner and eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and second in the standings Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing). It was a chaotic session at times but Bagnaia kept it pinned to move through, pipped late on by Zarco after the Frenchman had some issues early on. The two Borgo Panigale machines proved the graduating duo though, denying Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) by a tenth.
Marc Marquez crashed out of the session, rider ok, with only half a minute left on the clock as he lost the chance to move to Q2. Consequently, the number 93 suffered his worst qualifying ever in the premier class as he gets ready to start from 20th, and has another surprisingly tough day at the the office alongside him: Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Q2 Notes
Free Practice 1, 2, and 3 pacesetter Viñales set the initial time to beat, a 1:32.413, but it was beaten on Quartararo’s first fast lap by 0.077. However, El Diablo’s next flying lap was nothing short of stunning: through Sector 3, Quartararo was over three tenths faster than his own time and was on course to set the first-ever sub-1:32 lap time at the Cathedral of Speed. Sure enough, hecrossed the line to lay down Assen’s fastest-ever two-wheel lap – a 1:31.922.
At the end of the first runs, the number 20 was a stunning 0.491 clear of Viñales in second place, with three tenths then separating third-place Zarco from ninth-fastest Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). It would take an almighty effort to beat Quartararo’s time, but that’s exactly what Viñales was about to pull out the hat. His first lap went astray after a moment at Turn 9, but his sixth lap of the session saw Viñales set a blockbuster 1:31.814 to beat his teammate by 0.071, a scorcher from Top Gun.
Bagnaia then shot up to P3 before Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) hit back, but Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) decided it was his turn to sit on the provisional front row and the Japanese rider took over in third.
As the end of the session approached, all eyes turned to Quartararo. Up by nearly two tenths in Sector 1, the Frenchman was 0.135 under at the end of Sector 2. A small mistake at Turn 10 cost the number 20 time, however, and crossing the line, he couldn’t improve… leaving Viñales unthreatened at the top as the number 12 took pole for the first time in 2021. Bagnaia then shot into third, demoting Nakagami right at the flag.
The Grid
Viñales, Quartararo and Bagnaia lock out the top, with Nakagami leading Row 2 in P4 after his best qualifying of the season. He’s joined on the second row by Zarco and Oliveira. Rins suffered a late crash at Turn 8 but is unhurt and will start from P8 as the leading Suzuki, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) on the third row in 8th and 9th respectively. Just over three tenths covers Bagnaia to Aleix Espargaro.
Reigning World Champion Joan Mir’s (Team Suzuki Ecstar) qualifying struggles continue as the Spaniard starts P10, but the number 36 has very good race pace. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) is the second fastest Honda rider in P11, and the Spaniard sits just 0.089 ahead of 12th place Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) after the Doctor made it through to Q2.
MotoGP Assen Combined Qualifying
Pos
Rider
Bike
Q
Time/Gap
1
Maverick VIÑALES
YAMAHA
Q2
1m31.814
2
Fabio QUARTARARO
YAMAHA
Q2
+0.071
3
Francesco BAGNAIA
DUCATI
Q2
+0.302
4
Takaaki NAKAGAMI
HONDA
Q2
+0.500
5
Johann ZARCO
DUCATI
Q2
+0.580
6
Miguel OLIVEIRA
KTM
Q2
+0.636
7
Alex RINS
SUZUKI
Q2
+0.783
8
Jack MILLER
DUCATI
Q2
+0.795
9
Aleix ESPARGARO
APRILIA
Q2
+0.852
10
Joan MIR
SUZUKI
Q2
+0.934
11
Pol ESPARGARO
HONDA
Q2
+1.016
12
Valentino ROSSI
YAMAHA
Q2
+1.105
13
Iker LECUONA
KTM
Q1
(*) 0.183
14
Jorge MARTIN
DUCATI
Q1
(*) 0.309
15
Lorenzo SAVADORI
APRILIA
Q1
(*) 0.717
16
Alex MARQUEZ
HONDA
Q1
(*) 0.747
17
Luca MARINI
DUCATI
Q1
(*) 0.780
18
Danilo PETRUCCI
KTM
Q1
(*) 0.837
19
Enea BASTIANINI
DUCATI
Q1
(*) 0.863
20
Marc MARQUEZ
HONDA
Q1
(*) 0.936
21
Brad BINDER
KTM
Q1
(*) 1.056
22
Garrett GERLOFF
YAMAHA
Q1
(*) 1.198
2021 MotoGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Bike
Points
1
Fabio QUARTARARO
Yamaha
131
2
Johann ZARCO
Ducati
109
3
Jack MILLER
Ducati
100
4
Francesco BAGNAIA
Ducati
99
5
Joan MIR
Suzuki
85
6
Maverick VIÑALES
Yamaha
75
7
Miguel OLIVEIRA
KTM
74
8
Brad BINDER
KTM
56
9
Aleix ESPARGARO
Aprilia
53
10
Marc MARQUEZ
Honda
41
11
Franco MORBIDELLI
Yamaha
40
12
Pol ESPARGARO
Honda
35
13
Takaaki NAKAGAMI
Honda
34
14
Alex RINS
Suzuki
28
15
Enea BASTIANINI
Ducati
26
16
Alex MARQUEZ
Honda
25
17
Jorge MARTIN
Ducati
23
18
Danilo PETRUCCI
KTM
23
19
Valentino ROSSI
Yamaha
17
20
Luca MARINI
Ducati
14
21
Iker LECUONA
KTM
13
22
Stefan BRADL
Honda
11
23
Lorenzo SAVADORI
Aprilia
4
24
Michele PIRRO
Ducati
3
25
Tito RABAT
Ducati
1
Moto2
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took his fourth pole of his rookie Moto2 season at the Motul TT Assen, the Spaniard edging out teammate Remy Gardner in another Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took third, the Brit back on the front row as he looks to gain back some ground.
Moto2 Assen Combined Qualifying Times
Pos
Rider
Motorcycle
Q
Time/Gap
1
Raul FERNANDEZ
KALEX
Q2
1m36.356
2
Remy GARDNER
KALEX
Q2
+0.186
3
Sam LOWES
KALEX
Q2
+0.330
4
Aron CANET
BOSCOSCURO
Q2
+0.409
5
Hector GARZO
KALEX
Q2
+0.446
6
Ai OGURA
KALEX
Q2
+0.448
7
Jorge NAVARRO
BOSCOSCURO
Q2
+0.460
8
Augusto FERNANDEZ
KALEX
Q2
+0.528
9
Lorenzo DALLA PORTA
KALEX
Q2
+0.595
10
Tony ARBOLINO
KALEX
Q2
+0.651
11
Celestino VIETTI
KALEX
Q2
+0.667
12
Thomas LUTHI
KALEX
Q2
+0.723
13
Bo BENDSNEYDER
KALEX
Q2
+0.762
14
Marcel SCHROTTER
KALEX
Q2
+0.791
15
Fabio DI GIANNANTONI
KALEX
Q2
+0.874
16
Albert ARENAS
BOSCOSCURO
Q2
+0.879
17
Marco BEZZECCHI
KALEX
Q2
+0.893
18
Somkiat CHANTRA
KALEX
Q2
+1.017
19
Joe ROBERTS
KALEX
Q1
(*) 0.266
20
Marcos RAMIREZ
KALEX
Q1
(*) 0.279
21
Simone CORSI
MV AGUSTA
Q1
(*) 0.288
22
Jake DIXON
KALEX
Q1
(*) 0.396
23
Stefano MANZI
KALEX
Q1
(*) 0.406
24
Xavi VIERGE
KALEX
Q1
(*) 0.461
25
Cameron BEAUBIER
KALEX
Q1
(*) 0.486
26
Nicolò BULEGA
KALEX
Q1
(*) 0.506
27
Alonso LOPEZ
BOSCOSCURO
Q1
(*) 0.524
28
Barry BALTUS
NTS
Q1
(*) 1.151
29
Manuel GONZALEZ
MV AGUSTA
Q1
(*) 1.366
30
Hafizh SYAHRIN
NTS
Q1
(*) 1.740
Moto2 Championship Points Standing
Pos
Rider
Bike
Points
1
Remy GARDNER
Kalex
164
2
Raul FERNANDEZ
Kalex
128
3
Marco BEZZECCHI
Kalex
117
4
Sam LOWES
Kalex
86
5
Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO
Kalex
73
6
Marcel SCHROTTER
Kalex
59
7
Aron CANET
Boscoscuro
55
8
Joe ROBERTS
Kalex
50
9
Xavi VIERGE
Kalex
42
10
Ai OGURA
Kalex
39
11
Bo BENDSNEYDER
Kalex
38
12
Augusto FERNANDEZ
Kalex
34
13
Jorge NAVARRO
Boscoscuro
33
14
Tony ARBOLINO
Kalex
30
15
Cameron BEAUBIER
Kalex
26
16
Albert ARENAS
Boscoscuro
18
17
Stefano MANZI
Kalex
17
18
Celestino VIETTI
Kalex
16
19
Marcos RAMIREZ
Kalex
16
20
Jake DIXON
Kalex
11
21
Hector GARZO
Kalex
11
22
Somkiat CHANTRA
Kalex
11
23
Nicolò BULEGA
Kalex
10
24
Hafizh SYAHRIN
NTS
8
25
Simone CORSI
MV Agusta
7
26
Lorenzo DALLA PORTA
Kalex
6
27
Alonso LOPEZ
Kalex
4
28
Fermín ALDEGUER
Boscoscuro
4
29
Lorenzo BALDASSARRI
MV Agusta
3
30
Barry BALTUS
NTS
2
31
Thomas LUTHI
Kalex
2
32
Yari MONTELLA
Boscoscuro
0
33
Tommaso MARCON
MV Agusta
0
34
Miquel PONS
MV Agusta
0
35
Fraser ROGERS
NTS
0
36
Taiga HADA
NTS
0
37
Piotr BIESIEKIRSKI
Kalex
0
38
Keminth KUBO
Kalex
0
Moto3
Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) took his maiden pole position at the Motul TT Assen, the Spaniard mastering the track on his first try as he makes his racing debut at the Drenthe venue this weekend. His new lap record, a 1:41.194, gives him two tenths in hand ahead of Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) completing the front row.
Some drama hit for Moto3 ahead of qualifying too, with Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) involved in a multi-rider incident in FP3 and subsequently taken to Groningen hospital for a check up, alongside BOE Owlride’s Stefano Nepa and Riccardo Rossi, who were also involved – as was Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP).
Acosta was declared unfit for upper back and chest trauma on Saturday as a precaution, which ruled him out of Q2. If he is able to start on Sunday, he will line up 18th.
Moto3 Assen Combined Qualifying Times
Pos
Rider
Motorcycle
Q
Time/Gap
1
Jeremy ALCOBA
HONDA
Q2
1m41.194
2
Romano FENATI
HUSQVARNA
Q2
+0.212
3
Dennis FOGGIA
HONDA
Q2
+0.278
4
Sergio GARCIA
GASGAS
Q2
+0.279
5
Kaito TOBA
KTM
Q2
+0.285
6
Gabriel RODRIGO
HONDA
Q2
+0.340
7
Niccolò ANTONELLI
KTM
Q2
+0.473
8
Darryn BINDER
HONDA
Q2
+0.561
9
Xavier ARTIGAS
HONDA
Q2
+0.684
10
Jaume MASIA
KTM
Q2
+0.809
11
John MCPHEE
HONDA
Q2
+0.849
12
Tatsuki SUZUKI
HONDA
Q2
+0.862
13
Izan GUEVARA
GASGAS
Q2
+1.000
14
Lorenzo FELLON
HONDA
Q2
+1.194
15
Deniz ÖNCÜ
KTM
Q2
+1.198
16
Elia BARTOLINI
KTM
Q2
+1.332
17
Andrea MIGNO
HONDA
Q2
+1.345
18
Pedro ACOSTA
KTM
FP1
+0.609
19
Joel KELSO
KTM
Q1
(*) 1.009
20
Yuki KUNII
HONDA
Q1
(*) 1.079
21
Adrian FERNANDEZ
HUSQVARNA
Q1
(*) 1.230
22
Ryusei YAMANAKA
KTM
Q1
(*) 1.254
23
Takuma MATSUYAMA
HONDA
Q1
(*) 1.326
24
Andi Farid IZDIHAR
HONDA
Q1
(*) 2.388
25
Stefano NEPA
KTM
FP1
0.738
26
Riccardo ROSSI
KTM
FP3
1.002
27
Alberto SURRA
HONDA
FP1
1.862
Moto3 Championship Points Standings
Pos
Rider
Bike
Points
1
Pedro ACOSTA
KTM
145
2
Sergio GARCIA
GASGAS
90
3
Jaume MASIA
KTM
72
4
Niccolò ANTONELLI
KTM
65
5
Romano FENATI
Husqvarna
64
6
Dennis FOGGIA
Honda
61
7
Darryn BINDER
Honda
60
8
Andrea MIGNO
Honda
58
9
Ayumu SASAKI
KTM
57
10
Jeremy ALCOBA
Honda
52
11
Gabriel RODRIGO
Honda
51
12
Kaito TOBA
KTM
49
13
Filip SALAC
Honda
35
14
Izan GUEVARA
GASGAS
32
15
Ryusei YAMANAKA
KTM
28
16
John MCPHEE
Honda
27
17
Jason DUPASQUIER
KTM
27
18
Tatsuki SUZUKI
Honda
26
19
Deniz ÖNCÜ
KTM
24
20
Xavier ARTIGAS
Honda
23
21
Riccardo ROSSI
KTM
16
22
Carlos TATAY
KTM
14
23
Stefano NEPA
KTM
14
24
Adrian FERNANDEZ
Husqvarna
10
25
Elia BARTOLINI
KTM
7
26
Yuki KUNII
Honda
7
27
Maximilian KOFLER
KTM
3
28
Andi Farid IZDIHAR
Honda
2
29
Daniel HOLGADO
KTM
1
30
Lorenzo FELLON
Honda
0
31
Joel KELSO
KTM
0
32
Takuma MATSUYAMA
Honda
0
MotoE
Eric Granado (One Energy Racing) remains unbeaten in FIM Enel MotoE World Cup E-Pole this season after the Brazilian was fastest once again in Round 4. It was close, however, with Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) just 0.074 off Granado’s best of a 1:43.114. Points leader and Free Practice pacesetter Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) completes the front row, with the session concluding right as rain began at the TT Circuit Assen and the Italian the last one out.
Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) was the first rider to set a sub-1:44 lap, a 1:43.968 putting him a sizeable 0.736 faster than the competition up to that point. Corentin Perolari (Tech3 E-Racing) cut Casadei’s advantage to 0.294 to go second, before Barcelona winner Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) then lit up his Energica Ego Corsa’s rear wheel on the exit of Turn 5 – a mistake that cost the Spaniard, whose lap would then get chalked off again after exiting pitlane too late anyway.
Rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) then went fastest overall with a 1:43.923, a new benchmark for the following riders to try and better. And that’s exactly what Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) did as the 2019 World Cup winner beat Aldeguer’s time by 0.047 to sit on provisional pole, but the Italian would immediately get shoved down to P2.
By whom? Reigning World Cup winner Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40) – smoking his rear tyre out of Turn 11 – moved the goalposts in a big way as he went 0.398 clear at the summit to set a new benchmark. Tulovic was up for the challenge though and despite a rear-end twitch at Turn 5, the German rider took over at the top after an impressive 1:43.188. Second in the standings Dominque Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) was next up, but the Swiss rider will be looking for more on Sunday after slotting himself into third at the time, leaving just two riders left to set a lap: Granado and Zaccone.
Granado was up first, the second fastest man on the combined times, and the Brazilian recovered from a bit of a moment to nevertheless take provisional pole by 0.074 and deny Tulovic for sure. Could Zaccone take over at the top? All eyes panned to the Italian, who was a tenth and a half down in Sector 1, but he’d pulled it back by the end of Sector 3 to be heading into the final split 0.121 up. With the rain flag out but Race Direction judging the conditions to not yet be affecting track conditions, the lap was able to be finished but, crossing the line, the Italian couldn’t hold his advantage and instead slotted into third.
That leaves Granado on pole ahead of Tulovic and Zaccone, pushing Torres down to fourth at the head of the second row. He’s joined by Aegerter and Ferrari, who were fifth and sixth respectively.
Seventh place Aldeguer and eighth fastest Casadei are the only other riders to get within a second of polesitter Granado at Assen, with Corentin Perolari and Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) completing the top 10.
Definitely could of been higher up the grid but the yellow flags came out on my final lap 🤷 Anyway these things happen sometimes! Keen to see what we can do tomorrow 😁
Some were stronger in the wet, some in the dry, some around some sectors and some others, but the outcome was another classic freight train fight at the front. Zuda and Damian Boessenkool (Team KNMV) were making up ground hand over fist before they also joined the battle, making it eight riders vying for three places on the podium… and one win.
Brown started from pole and got away for the holeshot, with O’Gorman immediately on the chase in second. Belford likewise started well, and so did Jonny Garness (City Lifting/RS Racing) as the four started to escape early at the front. Brown put in the legwork and withstood some serious pressure from O’Gorman early on, with Garness also getting busy as he pipped past Belford for third. By third distance, however, Garness was dropping off the back of the leading trio as he began to fade, leaving Brown leading O’Gorman leading Belford.
The Brazilian makes it four MotoE™ poles in four races to beat Tulovic by less than a tenth
Eric Granado (One Energy Racing) remains unbeaten in FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup E-Pole this season after beating Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) by 0.074s at the Motul TT Assen. Granado’s 1:43.114 couldn’t be beaten by World Cup leader and Free Practice pacesetter Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE).
How Assen’s first E-Pole played out
Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) was the first rider to set a sub-1:44 lap time in E-Pole, a 1:43.968 to go 0.736s faster than the competition. Corentin Perolari (Tech3 E-Racing) cut Casadei’s advantage to 0.294s to go second, as Barcelona winner Miquel Pons (LCR E-Racing) lit up his Energica Ego Corsa’s rear wheel on the exit of Turn 5 – a mistake that cost the Spaniard, whose lap would eventually get chalked off after exiting pitlane too late anyway.
Rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) then went fastest overall with a 1:43.923, a new benchmark for the following riders to try and better. And that’s exactly what Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) did. The 2019 World Cup winner beat Aldeguer’s time by 0.047s to sit on provisional pole, but the Italian would immediately get shoved down to P2.
Why? Well, reigning World Cup winner Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40) – smoking his way out of Turn 11 – went 0.398s clear at the summit to set a new benchmark. Tulovic was next on track and despite a rear-end twitch at Turn 5, the German rider was now the reference thanks to a cracking 1:43.188. Second in the title race Dominque Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) slotted himself into P3 before it was just two riders left to set a lap: Granado and Zaccone.
A brilliant lap from Granado saw the Brazilian take provisional pole by 0.074s, as all eyes panned to Zaccone. A tenth and a half down in Sector 1, Zaccone had pulled it back by the end of Sector 3 to be 0.121s quicker than Granado heading into the final split. However, crossing the line, the Italian couldn’t hold his advantage as the rain began to fall, with Zaccone going P3 to displace Torres from the front row.
The remaining top 10 riders
Torres leads the second row and is joined by Aegerter and Ferrari, as seventh place Aldeguer and eighth fastest Casadei are the only other riders to get within a second of polesitter Granado at Assen. Perolari and Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) complete the top 10 in another fantastic E-Pole session, as we now await race day.
Don’t miss the MotoE™ race at 15:30 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday afternoon!
The rookie sensation is on pole again in another qualifying masterclass
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez bagged his fourth pole position of the season at the Motul TT Assen thanks to a 1:36.356, a lap time good enough to fend off teammate and main title rival Remy Gardner by 0.186s. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) will start Sunday’s Moto2™ battle from the outside of the front row in third, the British rider 0.330s back from pole.
Another Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2
World Championship leader Gardner was the first rider to dip into the 1:36s bracket in Q2 to briefly lead the standings, but teammate Raul Fernandez quickly took the initiative. The rookie landed a 1:36.567 to beat Gardner by over three tenths, as Lowes and Q1 graduate Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) placed provisional P2 and P3.
Having been demoted to P7, Gardner then came back out of the box with gritted teeth. The three-time 2021 winner returned to top spot but once again, Raul Fernandez struck back to go just 0.010s away from the all-time lap record. On his final flying lap, Augusto Fernandez snatched a front row away from teammate Lowes to cement his first front row start since the 2019 Japanese GP, however, a yellow flag infringement for Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing) sees the Spaniard demoted to P8.
The remaining top 10
Canet’s P4 is a fantastic result after finishing Free Practice in P21, and the same can be said for Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40). Fifth for the Spaniard, from Q1 and P20 in Free Practice, sees him claim a best qualifying result since the 2020 Valencia GP. Rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) starts sixth, yet another impressive result from the Japanese rider.
Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) was a late crasher but lines up seventh on the Assen grid, just 0.460s splits the fastest seven riders in Q2. Augusto Fernandez will be more determined than ever to try and fight for the podium having had his lap cancelled, the Spaniard is eighth ahead of Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) – his best Moto2™ qualifying result – and Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP).
Tune into the Moto2™ Dutch TT at 12:20 local time (GMT+2).
Top 10: 1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 1:36.356 2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.186 3. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.330 4. Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) + 0.409 5. Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) + 0.446 6. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.448 7. Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) + 0.460 8. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.528 9. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) + 0.595 10. Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.651
Every practice session, qualifying battle and race, exclusive interviews, historic races and so much more fantastic content: this is VideoPass!
The two factory YZR-M1 riders went head-to-head as we witness the fastest-ever two-wheel Assen lap set by the Spaniard
For the first time since the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) will start from pole position after setting a new all-time TT Circuit Assen lap record in Q2, a 1:31.814. The Spaniard and teammate Fabio Quartararo went head-to-head in an exhilarating qualifying, with the World Championship leader settling for P2 ahead of Q1 graduate Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Two Yamahas lead a Ducati on the front row as eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) is forced to start from P20 at the Motul TT Assen.
A big result for Ducati in Q1, late disappointment for Tech3
It was a huge opening qualifying session for two title contenders at Assen: Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Bagnaia. Ducati have been struggling a bit this weekend, but Pecco was able to slot in a very quick early banker to sit top of Q1 for almost the entire session. Zarco, meanwhile, encountered an issue with his GP21 and didn’t head out on track until there was time for just two flying laps.
Motul TT Assen: MotoGP™ Q1 26/06/2021
Steve Day, Matt Birt and Simon Crafar guide you through proceedings as the final two spots in Q2 are handed out
The Frenchman, second in the title race, was a long way off getting into the top two on his first lap, and then ran wide at Turn 1. Was that his qualifying effort done? It seemed that way, however, Zarco was able to sneak one more lap in – and what a lap it was. The Pramac Racing star landed a time good enough for P1, seeing Bagnaia demoted to P2 and Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) into P3, late heartbreak for the Spaniard who misses out on a first Q2 appearance of the season by less than a tenth.
The pole position scrap
Free Practice 1, 2, and 3 pacesetter Viñales set the initial time to beat, a 1:32.413, but it was beaten on Quartararo’s first flying lap by 0.077s. However, Quartararo’s next flying lap was nothing short of stunning. Through Sector 3, El Diablo was over three tenths faster than his own time and was on course to set the first-ever sub-1:32 lap time at the Cathedral of Speed. Sure enough, Quartararo crossed the line to lay down Assen’s fastest-ever two-wheel lap – a bonkers 1:31.922.
At the end of the first runs, Quartararo was 0.491s clear of second place Viñales, with three tenths separating third place Zarco and ninth fastest Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). It would take an almighty effort to beat Quartararo’s time, but that’s exactly what Viñales was doing. His first lap went astray after a moment at Turn 9, but his sixth lap of the session saw Viñales set a blockbuster 1:31.814 to beat his teammate by 0.071s, a scorcher from Top Gun.
Bagnaia shot up to P3 with a great lap, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) then went P3 before Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) decided it was his turn to sit on the provisional front row, as all eyes turned to Quartararo. Up by nearly two tenths in Sector 1, Quartararo was 0.135s under at the end of Sector 2. However, a small mistake at Turn 10 cost the number 20 time and crossing the line, Quartararo couldn’t improve, meaning Viñales took pole for the first time in 2021. A sensational battle between the factory Yamaha teammates.
How the front four rows take shape
On his final flying lap, Bagnaia picked up a magnificent front row start having come through Q1. Nakagami leads Row 2 in P4 after his best qualifying of the season, excellent from the Japanese rider, who is joined on the second row by Zarco and Oliveira. Rins suffered a late crash at Turn 8 but is unhurt and will start from P8 as the leading Suzuki, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) are on the third row in 8th and 9th respectively – just over three tenths cover Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro.
Reigning World Champion Joan Mir’s (Team Suzuki Ecstar) qualifying struggles continue as the Spaniard starts P10, but the number 36 has very good race pace. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) is the second fastest Honda rider in P11, the Spaniard sits 0.089s ahead of 12th place Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT).
An intriguing Sunday awaits
After a crash in Q1, Marc Marquez will start from his worst premier class qualifying position in P20, as the Sachsenring winner and fourth place finisher Brad Binder (Red Bull Factory Racing) endure a tough afternoon at Assen – P21 for the South African.
Can anyone take the fight to the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders on Sunday afternoon? Find out at 14:00 local time (GMT+2).
Q2 results: 1. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – 1:31.814 2. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.071 3. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.302 4. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 0.500 5. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.580 6. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.636 7. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.783 8. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.795 9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.852 10. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.934 11. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 1.016 12. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 1.105
Every practice session, qualifying battle and race, exclusive interviews, historic races and so much more fantastic content: this is VideoPass!
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Iker Lecuona made best use of the tow on the first of the flying laps, jumping up to P2 behind Bagnaia. Before then Zarco, having earlier made a mistake and it appearing as if it was game over, the Pramac man dug deep to go top with the chequered flag out.
World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was all smiles after FP4 at the Motul TT Assen – and for good reason. The Frenchman topped the 30-minute race-pace session with a 1:32.513, 0.204s ahead of teammate Maverick Viñales, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the top three.