FIM Moto2 World Championship Assen, Netherlands June 25 Race Results (wet conditions, all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires): 1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (SUTER), 24 laps, 44:30.409 2. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (SUTER), -2.397 seconds 3. Bradley SMITH, Great Britain (TECH 3), -6.418 4. Anthony WEST, Australia (MZ-RE HONDA), -22.803 5. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (MOTOBI), -25.882 6. Mattia PASINI, Italy (FTR), -26.851 7. Esteve RABAT, Spain (FTR), -28.125 8. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (SUTER), -28.712 9. Randy KRUMMENACHER, Switzerland (KALEX), -29.744 10. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Germany (MZ-RE HONDA), -39.767 11. Alex BALDOLINI, Italy (SUTER), -47.158 12. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUTER), -50.846 13. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (FTR), -57.118 14. Simone CORSI, Italy (FTR), -60.775 15. Claudio CORTI, Italy (SUTER), -66.310 16. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (PONS KALEX), -66.764 17. Michele PIRRO, Italy (MORIWAKI), -66.823, crash 18. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), -76.296 19. Ricard CARDUS, Spain (MORIWAKI), -81.524 20. Carmelo MORALES, Spain (MORIWAKI), -82.289 21. Kev COGHLAN, Great Britain (FTR), -98.161 22. Michael VAN DER MARK, Netherlands (TEN KATE), -101.888 23. Javier FORES, Spain (SUTER), -102.189 24. Scott REDDING, Great Britain (SUTER), -1 lap 25. Mashel AL NAIMI, Qatar (MORIWAKI), -1 lap 26. Robertino PIETRI, Venezuela (SUTER), -1 lap 27. Stefan BRADL, Germany (KALEX), -4 laps, DNF, crash 28. Steven ODENDAAL, South Africa (SUTER), -4 laps, DNF, crash 29. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan (MORIWAKI), -5 laps, DNF, crash 30. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (FTR), -5 laps, DNF, crash 31. Kenny NOYES, USA (FTR), -5 laps, DNF, crash 32. Xavier SIMEON, Belgium (TECH 3), -6 laps, DNF, crash 33. Mika KALLIO, Finland (SUTER), -11 laps, DNF, retired 34. Axel PONS, Spain (PONS KALEX), -17 laps, DNF, crash 35. Ratthapark WILAIROT, Thailand (FTR), -19 laps, DNF, crash 36. Valentin DEBISE, France (FTR), -19 laps, DNF, crash 37. Santiago HERNANDEZ, Colombia (FTR), -21 laps, DNF, crash 38. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (TECH 3), -22 laps, DNF, crash 39. Jules CLUZEL, France (SUTER), -22 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Standings (After 7 of 17 races): 1. Bradl, 127 points 2. Marquez, 70 3. Corsi, 67 4. Smith, 63 5. TIE, Takahashi/Luthi, 56 7. TIE, Iannone/De Angelis, 53 9. Simon, 49 10. TIE, Pirro/Rabat, 37 More, from a press release issued by JiR Moto2 Team: GP of The Netherlands, race: De Angelis makes comeback to 5th With an impressive comeback, Alex De Angelis manages to put right the weekend at Assen for the JiR Team, taking 5th place at the flag, gaining important championship points. De Angelis immediately found a good feeling with his MotoBI, which was fine-tuned by team technicians to the rain and damp conditions that characterized the race, which allowed him to have a good base from which to recover positions lap-after-lap. He eventually came upon the second group of riders and enjoyed a great battle with them and headed the group at the finish. The race was won by Marc Marquez, followed by Kenan Sofuoglu and Bradley Smith. The provisional leader of the World Championship, Stefan Bradl, didn’t score points following a fall, which helps to close up the rankings, where the positions are still close down to 10th position. Alex DeAngelis I’m happy for the race and for the 5th position, a result that corrects the misfortune we had before qualifying and gives me good points for the championship. The MotoBI was in good shape, we nailed the optimal set-up for track conditions and I had a good feeling from the very beginning. Thanks to this I was able to make a good start at the green light and push to recover places, lap-after-lap, making some nice passes. I was able to get in the second group and there I made my race. Unfortunately the leaders had gapped us too much for me to gain a podium, so I tried not to take too many risks and keep a cool head. At the end I managed to get the better even of Pasini, an additional point for the championship that is very important considering that the classification is close and there are still many GPs to go, so I would say I’m satisfied. More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Smith third after superb victory challenge in Assen Bradley Smith stormed to a richly deserved third place finish in the Iveco TT Assen this afternoon having fought for victory throughout an exciting Moto2 race at the Circuit van Drenthe. The 20-year-old made a flying start in tricky conditions as the unpredictable Assen weather dominated the 24-lap race. The race was declared wet after an earlier downpour brought a premature end to the 125cc race and Smith excelled in the early laps. After claiming his first Moto2 podium in wet conditions at Silverstone earlier this month, his wet weather riding skills were immediately on display and he needed just three laps to go from 10th on the grid to lead the field. Smith looked confident and assured at the front and held off intense pressure from Marc Marquez, Kenan Sofuoglu and Yuki Takahashi until lap 10, by which time the rain had started to fall again. Smith was able to maintain his impressive pace though and briefly regained the lead on lap 18 before Marquez and Sofuoglu passed him again when Takahashi crashed out of contention on lap 19. With Takahashi out and conditions becoming increasingly unpredictable, Smith opted to settle for the podium rather than taking any unnecessary risks and the 16-points gained moved Smith into fourth position in the World Championship rankings, just four-points behind Simone Corsi. Mike di Meglio was also challenging for the podium in the early stages before a small mistake ruled him out of contention. A brilliant start from the Frenchman moved him up five places on the opening lap and quickly at ease with the treacherous con ditions, di Meglio had brilliantly moved into the top five. But he fell on lap three and while unhurt in the crash he was unable to continue because of a damaged right handlebar. Bradley Smith 3rd 63 points: “It was really hard work today because the conditions were so varied you had no idea what to expect from one lap to the next. At the start of the race I felt really comfortable, especially on a wet track. But once it started to dry I started to suffer a little bit. When I was at the front and the track was pretty damp, that’s when I felt at my best. We went very cautious with the set-up making sure we could get full grip if the rain came down. The racing line got bigger and bigger and I think we ran a set-up that was a little bit too soft for those conditions. When it started to rain again and I knew I had a chance of the podium I just did the sensible thing and took the 16-points. It kept drying out and I found it more difficult, but to get that result was absolutely awesome. I love Mugello so hopefully I’ll be very competitive there next weekend too.” Mike di Meglio DNF 7 points: “I am happy and sad as the race was going so fantastically well and then unfortunately I crashed. I got a really good start and was quickly inside the top six and I had a good feeling with the bike, even though the conditions were really difficult. I got into the top four and I was really confident I could stay there and maybe even push for the podium. But I made a small mistake and unfortunately the right handlebar was broken in the gravel, so it was impossible to rejoin the race. That’s disappointing because I could have scored my best result of the season. There are still a lot of positives to take from the weekend because I was com petitive on each day, so I am confident I can be close to the front again in Mugello next weekend.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager: “I am very happy with Bradley once again because he is showing race after race that he is definitely a top five rider on any track in any condition in Moto2. The race was very long for my old heart. In those conditions it is so easy to make a mistake and I was worried a bit. But just like in Silverstone, Bradley had everything under control and he did an amazing job. His ride was a masterpiece and he was very mature. He did not try too hard in the end because third is a great result and we are now fourth in the championship, only a few points away second. To be at that level at this stage of the season shows what a brilliant job he is doing. I was very pleased to see all three Tech3 riders in the top 10 this morning in the Warm-up and we also ha d a couple of moments in the top six in the race and that shows that the Mistral 610 package is a strong one. It is a shame that Mike crashed because he was also looking very fast. Unfortunately he was unable to finish, so we hope he learns from this and comes back stronger next weekend in Mugello.” More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: DUTCH DISAPPOINTMENT FOR MARC VDS Today’s rain-affected Iveco TT Assen ended in disappointing fashion for the Marc VDS Racing Team, with Mika Kallio and Scott Redding’s anticipated top ten challenge failing to materialise. Once again the Assen weather played a decisive role in proceedings with the 24-lap race declared wet after earlier showers had forced the 125cc race to be red flagged. The race got underway in cold, wet and windy conditions and heavy drizzle fell intermittently throughout the race. The rapidly changing conditions made it difficult to judge grip levels on the historic Circuit van Drenthe circuit and Redding and Kallio struggled to find a confident feeling with their Suter MMXI machines. Hopeful of delivering a second successive top six finish after a brilliant ride to fifth in a rain-lashed British Grand Prix 13 days ago, Redding’s challenge quickly faded as rear grip issues saw him drop down the rankings and he finished in 24th position. Finnish rider Kallio was also struck by grip issues as a dry line quickly appeared in the early laps, causing extra wear on his Dunlop rain tyres. Kallio was fighting on the fringes of the top 15 when he suddenly encountered a drop in front and rear traction on lap seven. Unable to continue pushing safely at a pace he felt comfortable at, Kallio opted to retire at the end of lap 13. Scott Redding #45 “I’m pretty frustrated right now because they were just about the worst conditions imaginable for me. I’m fast in the dry and also in the full wet, but in mixed conditions I just can’t get the bike to work at all. I just didn’t have any rear grip from the start and each time I touched the throttle I was having big wheelspin issues. It was also quite unpredictable, so sometimes I’d go into a corner and it felt fine and the next lap I’d lose the rear, so it was not a very confidence inspiring way to ride. We’ve tried to make the bike softer and harder for those conditions but I just can’t seem to get any confidence at all, so we’ve got to have a big think for the future when we encounter those conditions again. All I can do is put this race behind me and focus on being back in the top six at Mugello where hopefully the weather will be a bit kinder to us.” Mika Kallio #36 “Obviously today was very disappointing and I am sorry for my Marc VDS Racing Team because we were confident of a good result. I was fast in the rain at Silverstone but the conditions today were very difficult. The track was damp at the start and then dried quite quickly and I just didn’t seem to have any grip. It wasn’t a problem just with the rear because the front was sliding a lot as well, so it was difficult to keep control of the bike. I tried to do my best to defend some positions but it was too risky and in the end I felt I had no option but to retire because it wasn’t safe to continue. Luckily we don’t have to wait too long to try and bounce back from today and I’m looking forward to a much stronger weekend in Mugello.” Michael Bartholemy – Team Manager “The race was very difficult for Scott and Mika and it is clear that in mixed conditions like that, we have got to make some drastic improvements for the future. Both our riders complained that they couldn’t find any grip, but some riders on the same package as us we able to find grip and be much faster. Clearly we are missing something in the set-up and we have to find a solution, because this is not the first time we have experienced those conditions. It is not normal that we are always very competitive in the dry with Scott and then in the difficult conditions like today we are struggling down at the back. We move onto Mugello confident that, in better conditions, we will be a lot closer to the front; where we should be.” More, from a press release issued by Kenny Noyes’ publicist: Rear Grip Issues See Kenny Noyes Crash Out At Assen The confidence that Kenny Noyes had been slowly building over the weekend at Assen took a bit of a knock during Saturday’s Moto2 race, the Avintia-STX rider crashing out in treacherous conditions. The return of the rain after the circuit had been drying out saw Kenny highside out at the De Bult corner, one of the trickiest turns on the circuit. The lack of dry track time had left little time to work on the new setup for Kenny’s FOGI-Racing FTR, and in the half-wet, half-dry conditions, the American found himself struggling with rear grip. As the track started to dry, the grip improved, and Kenny could start to pick up the pace a little. But once the rain started falling again, the grip problems returned and Kenny crashed out of the race. Noyes now heads to Mugello hoping to get some dry weather so that he and his Avintia-STX team can start refining the base setup they found at the start of this weekend. Kenny is confident of exploiting the potential of his FTR, and is eager to start racking up the laps. Kenny Noyes DNF, Fastest Lap: 1’51.633 Kenny said, “The work we’ve done this weekend paid off for the front end, the front of my FTR felt awesome. But we had a real problem with the rear, it was spinning up a lot, it felt extreme compared to the people around me. The bike felt better when the track dried a little, but when the rain came, the grip went away and I highsided at the same place that Takahashi crashed.” “We made a big step forward at the beginning of the weekend, and I really want to get some dry track time to get the best out of the bike. We know the potential is there, but the track conditions have made it real tough to get it out. I’m hoping for some hot Italian sunshine at Mugello so we can get some laps under our belts.” More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Moto2 Team: Maybe one point is just peanuts if you think to the work done, to the commitment and to what expected. Nevertheless, it marks an inversion of route and we believe – the end of a period of time when it was difficult to find solutions to the problems. Not all the pieces are in place, but the team believe the right path has finally been found. Claudio Corti (45’36. 719 – 15th) “It is my birthday, and I wanted to give a better gift to myself, to be honest. Anyhow, it is better than nothing. But I know that our value is much higher. Let’s work at a great result under the Italian sun, on the Mugello Circuit, in our home race”. Robertino Pietri (44’39″949 – 26th) “Everything OK on the wet. Than, the more the track dried, the less I could trust the tires. And when rain began to pour down again, they were so damaged that I could do anything but cruise to the finish line” . Claudio Macciotta (Technical Director): “Riding on dry with rain tires isn’t easy at all, and not always you can manage the situation. Anyway, while our performance is not great in mixed conditions, we have a good set-up for both dry and completely wet. And these are the conditions Mugello will provide us next, experience says”. Luigi Pansera (Team Manager): “We are not at our best in intermediate conditions, but this is the only issue that prevented us from a brilliant race. And, I’m sorry to add, there is that problem we often experience at turn number one, where we lose to much positions and time in favor of our opponents. Anyhow, I want to say that I was pleased to see our riders and crew working so hard, and I’m convinced we are on the right way”. More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team: QMMF Racing Team riders- play it safe in tricky weather QMMF Racing Team riders Mashel Al Naimi and Ricky Cardús played it safe at the wet Dutch TT and achieved their most important goal: To finish the race and see the chequered flag without risking a crash. Rain showers had soaked the famous 4.5 kilometre circuit of Assen in the morning, and the Moto2 race was declared “wet” even though the drizzles stopped and the track started to dry up during the 24 laps, putting enormous stress on the rain tyres that most of the riders had chosen. Ricky Cardús, who never had raced at Assen before, had a poor start and held 29th position after one lap before battling his way through the pack and taking 19th position. Team mate Mashel al Naimi rode safe and consistently in the tricky and dangerous conditions with a total of 14 crashes and ended up in 25th place despite suffering with a lack of grip on his worn wet tyres towards the end of the race. “Ricky had some bad luck here. He made a mistake at the start and didn’t come off the line very well, plus it was very difficult to overtake other riders in those slippery conditions”, said team coordinator Luis Solano. “But he finished in 19th place so we can be reasonably happy. Mashel needs more time in wet conditions, as he wasn’t been able to find a good feeling for the bike during the race. At the end he got lapped, but he also finished the race, which is a good result for our team on a day with so many incidents!” Mashel Al Naimi 25th “With this kind of weather, it was a really difficult day for us. I had some problems with the rear end of my bike, especially in right-hand corners there has been a lot of movement. My rain tyres felt like worn slicks then, but I don’t know what the problem was. Finishing the race was good for me, but I hope to get some better results soon. I want to thank my team that worked so hard this weekend and I will try my best at the next race in Mugello!” Ricky Cardús 19th “I had the same problem that I had in many other races before: That we didn’t get a good result in qualifying and weren’t able to make up for it in the race. We need to be faster and stronger in practice if we want to have realistic chances for a top position in the race. I didn’t have the best of all starts, and after being held up in the beginning, it probably wasn’t my strongest day as a rider, either. I didn’t want to risk another crash and wanted a safe race finish under these conditions, just to gain more experience and to be better prepared should bad weather hit us again!