MotoGP Race Lap Record: Marc Marquez, 1:33.617, 2015

MotoGP All Time Lap Record: Valentino Rossi, 1:32.627, 2015

2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship

TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands

June 29, 2019

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Two:

1. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yamaha), 1:32.017, New All Time Lap Record

2. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:32.157

3. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:32.458

4. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:32.731

5. Joan Mir, Spain (Suzuki), 1:33.085

6. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:33.228

7. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:33.282

8. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:33.295

9. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yamaha), 1:33.314

10. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:33.323

11. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:33.692

12. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 1:33.762

From Qualifying One:

13. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Ducati), 1:33.221

14. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:33.466

15. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:33.547

16. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:33.583

17. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM), 1:33.706

18. Johann Zarco, France (KTM), 1:33.776

19. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM), 1:33.869

20. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), 1:33.960

21. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:34.580

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Red Bull KTM Tech3 pair keeps progressing in Assen

Today’s hot tarmac at the TT Circuit didn’t restrain Miguel Oliveira from improving throughout day two in order to eventually crack the 1:34 mark already in this mornings’ FP3 and miss out on Q2 by just half a second. With a fastest lap of 1:33.706, the Portuguese MotoGP rookie arrived in P7 during the first Qualifying session and therefore will start his eighth premier class race from the sixth row of the grid.

On the other side of the Red Bull KTM Tech3 garage, Hafizh Syahrin equally showed some great steps into the right direction on Saturday. He finished Q1 just 0.163 seconds behind his teammate and got his best Qualifying position to date this year with P9. The Malaysian is set to launch off the seventh row when the lights turn off tomorrow at 14.00 local time for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Miguel Oliveira

Position: 17th

Time: 1:33.706

Laps: 7

“I think we had a decent Qualifying today. In the last run, I felt I had a bit more potential to improve the lap time, but this is what we did. So finally, the sixth row on the grid is not so bad overall. We really want to finish in the points again, so starting already close to these positions, is an important step. I’m confident for tomorrow, aim to do a good start and bring home the most points possible.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 19th

Time: 1:33.869

Laps: 7

“I felt quite well and overall, the Qualifying times were really tight. For sure, it will be interesting for tomorrow’s race. I try to make a good start, which is very important and of course give my best to stay on the bike. It should be a bit colder on Sunday, so I hope we did the right choice regarding the tyre. After two DNF’s, I really just wish to finish the race and come back with a smile.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

MOTOGP QUALIFYING AT ASSEN

FIFTH ROW FOR ALEIX AND SEVENTH FOR ANDREA IN THE GP OF HOLLAND

Tomorrow, Aleix Espargaró will start from the fifth row with the fifteenth best time, whereas Andrea Iannone will have to try to make up positions, starting from the seventh row.

A brave Aleix Espargaró continued to improve and, despite the two fractures to his left leg, he battled to go through into the top twelve. In Q1, a high traffic situation on the track slowed him down on his flying lap, keeping him from launching an assault to go through to Q2. He finished fifteenth with a time of 1’33.547 and tomorrow he’ll start from the fifth row.

Andrea Iannone, after finishing the first day in sixth place, improved his times in FP3 this morning, lapping at 1’33.205 and came close to going through to Q2, missing it by just 137 thousandths. However, partly because of the high heat in the early afternoon, he lost that good feeling with his RS-GP in the decisive moment, lapping with higher times in qualifying and finishing twentieth (at 1’33.960) which places him on the seventh row.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“I must say that the situation with my leg has improved a lot compared to yesterday. I had a pain relief infiltration treatment for the first time and the pain decreased, but there is still poor mobility that limits me, especially in the direction changes. This circuit is not ideal in these conditions. You have to use your body a lot and I struggle when I have to push on the footpegs. In any case, I think that our pace is good. There are three very fast riders, but the rest of the group is rather compact. It could be a fun race.”

ANDREA IANNONE

“Yesterday we started from a good base. I am able to push well and straight away, but with the increase in temperatures, things got worse for us. The bike is very twitchy. I struggle in both braking and acceleration. There is a grip problem in general that will be complicated to manage tomorrow over 26 laps in the race.” 

More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha SRT:

Back-to-back pole positions for Quartararo

PETRONAS Yamaha SRT rider sets new circuit record at Assen for qualifying top spot, whilst team-mate Franco Morbidelli will start Dutch GP ninth.

1st FABIO QUARTARARO 1:32.017

9th FRANCO MORBIDELLI +1.297

Fabio Quartararo and the PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team continued to make history on Saturday at Assen. The French rookie took a second consecutive pole position in qualifying for the Dutch GP, becoming the youngest rider ever to achieve such a feat in MotoGP. Franco Morbidelli will start from the third row, in ninth.

Quartararo claimed a third pole position of his rookie season in MotoGP by setting a new all time lap record, a 1min 32.017secs in Q2. He did so on his final run, having opted for a two-stint strategy in the session. The Frenchman previously occupied pole for this year’s Spanish and Catalan Grands Prix.

Morbidelli will start from the third row, courtesy of the ninth fastest time in Q2. The Italian has been in the top ten of every Q2 session so far this season, and his 1min 33.314secs time kept up his Saturday consistency.

Both PETRONAS Yamaha SRT riders made their way directly into Q2 for the sixth time this season. Fabio Quartararo clocked the best time in FP3, with a 1min 32.471secs lap, while Franco Morbidelli was sixth, thanks to a 1min 32.913secs.

The 26-lap MotoGP race will start at 2:00pm local time.

#21 Franco Morbidelli

“We’ve been able to improve a lot compared to yesterday, so that’s very positive. I was able to go faster both in terms of my pace and my flying lap. Even so, we’re still lacking something if we compare my time with the fastest riders. My pace in FP4 wasn’t bad and I think we can fight for the top five. We still have the warm-up tomorrow to come, where we will be able to see where we are. If the race has a large group, I think I can be up at the front.”

#20 Fabio Quartararo

“There’s not much to say; it’s just incredible. Assen is one of the most legendary circuits in the World Championship, and taking pole position and breaking the track record is amazing. I’m very proud of what the team have done. I thought it would be very difficult to beat the time in the final part of the session, but I managed two very fast laps and was able to do it. The feeling we have at this circuit, especially on the last sector, is awesome. Both yesterday and today we worked on race pace, and I think we are good in that regard. It’s a tougher circuit than Barcelona, so my arm is suffering a bit more here, but I was able to get pole position. I’m very happy.” 

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Race ready Marquez secures fourth on the grid

Marc Marquez saves another incredible moment on his way to head the second row of the grid for Sunday’s Dutch GP.

Saturday’s action at ‘The Cathedral’ started in typically exciting fashion as the MotoGP World Championship fought for the top ten places in Free Practice 3. A late charge moved reigning champion Marc Marquez up to third in the session with a 1’32.688 and granted him direct passage into Q2.

Setting a 1’32.731 around the 4.5km TT Circuit Assen, Marquez was able to secure fourth as track temperature reached 49°C and the all time lap record was obliterated. Marquez’s penultimate flying lap was upset by a massive moment at Turn 1, the Repsol Honda Team rider performing one of his trademark saves to remain upright.

This is the first time Marquez has not started on the front row of the grid for a MotoGP race in 2019. Having worked with Sunday’s race in mind all weekend, Marquez is confident in his ability to fight his way forward.

Marc Marquez will line up as the lone representative for the Repsol Honda Team on Sunday for the 26-lap MotoGP race after Jorge Lorenzo was declared unfit after his fall in FP1.

Marc Marquez

4TH 1’32.731

“I’m happy with the race pace and we knew before the Qualifying that it would be tough as there is more competition than normal. It looks like in the morning it is a little tricky but then in the afternoon when the conditions get warmer we are there. I think it’s going to be a very close race tomorrow and there are four or five of us with good pace. Normally it’s a circuit where we struggle, but in Mugello normally we struggle and we got second and in Montmelo we struggled and won.”

More, from a press release issued by Mission Winnow Ducati:

Danilo Petrucci, 7th in qualifying practice at Assen, will start the Dutch GP from third row. Eleventh place on the grid and fourth row for Andrea Dovizioso

The Ducati Team resumed action today at the Assen TT Circuit (Netherlands), home of the eighth round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, for the Dutch Grand Prix qualifiers. Despite the strong start in yesterday’s sessions and the good pace shown in race configuration during today’s free-practice, the radical change of weather conditions – with 30 degrees in the atmosphere and more than 50 on the tarmac – hindered the flying-lap performance of both Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso, who will start tomorrow’s race in seventh and eleventh position respectively.

Due to lower grip levels caused by the rising temperatures, Petrucci posted a personal best of 1:33.282 and will open third row on the grid tomorrow. Dovizioso clocked a 1:33.692 and will start from fourth row.

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1:33.282 (7th)

“I tried to push as hard as I could, taking also some big risks, but the higher temperatures troubled us a bit, as both the grip and the overall stability diminished. Undoubtedly we expected to be able to do better. It’s a pity, because this morning in FP3 I felt so comfortable that I told the team I had the best bike I’ve ever ridden here at Assen, and I posted the provisional lap record. To be honest, it has also been a bit chaotic out there in Q2 because all riders were sort of guarding one another closely. Tomorrow it shouldn’t be as hot, or at least I hope so: we’ll analyze the data to make sure we can express our full potential during the race.”

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1:33.692 (11th)

“It’s been a bit of a strange day, with really high temperatures. After starting off on the right foot in free practice, unfortunately we couldn’t be as competitive during qualifying. It’s a shame because starting from fourth row complicates our plans a bit, but I wasn’t able to complete a ‘clean’ lap. We’re more competitive in terms of pace, we still have to improve but I believe we can ride a solid race. A lot will depend on what weather conditions we’ll find tomorrow. At any rate, we won’t give up and we’ll try to be fast in any condition.”

The Ducati Team will be back on track tomorrow, June 30th, at 09:40 (CET) for a warm-up session ahead of the race, which is scheduled to start at 14:00

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

BEST 2019 QUALIFYING FOR SUZUKI IN 3RD AND 5TH PLACES

Alex Rins: 3rd – 1:32.458

Joan Mir: 5th – 1:33.085

• Alex Rins fights through Q1 to take front row.

•Joan Mir takes best ever qualifying position with 5th.

•Season best grid slots for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR.

A much brighter morning FP3 session at Assen circuit saw everyone trying to improve their lap times, something which didn’t actually happen until towards the end of the session. Alex Rins and Joan Mir quickly found themselves in the ‘knock out zone’ and pushed into Q1 despite setting strong lap times. Joan initially finished 11th, but when Rossi had a lap cancelled he was promoted back into the Top 10. Alex completed the session 11th.

With the pace and the track both hotting up in FP4, Alex and Joan set about perfecting their settings for qualifying, they closed the session in 3rd and 6th respectively.

Alex put together an excellent Q1 session, topping the session on his first flying lap and scarcely looking back. He continued to improve, bringing his time down to an impressive 1:32.710, topping the session, and graduating to Q2.

The Team SUZUKI ECSTAR pair were ready to attack in final qualifying, both staying close to the top of the time sheet throughout the 15-minute session. Feeling comfortable and quick, Alex took a front row with 3rd, while Joan achieved his best qualifying so far with 5th place.

These second and third row starts also mark the best qualifying for the team this season.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager:

“It’s been the best Saturday of the season. Alex did an incredible recovery, coming through Q1 and then getting on the front row. Joan was brilliant too, he went directly into Q2 and then managed to qualify in 5th. Having both riders in the Top 5 gives us a good start for tomorrow. They both have strong pace so let’s see how the race develops. Many thanks to all the team for the hard work.”

Alex Rins:

“Coming from Q1 was difficult, I had to give my absolute all to get into Q2. I feel quite strong, especially as I was using a used rear tyre and still set a fast lap. Tomorrow will be a tough race for sure, there will be a lot of riders close together I think, but I’m starting in a good position – on the front row. We’ve done a lot of good work so far this weekend and I’m ready to fight for a win.”

Joan Mir:

“I’m happy about today’s qualifying, the team and I have worked really well during the weekend and I’ve been getting faster and closer to the top guys. I made some mistakes today so I feel my lap time could have actually been better. This is my first time starting on the second row, so I’m really pleased about that; thanks to the team.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP TO START CATHEDRAL CHALLENGE FROM 1ST AND 5TH ROW

Assen (The Netherlands), 29th June 2019

GRAND PRIX OF THE NETHERLANDS

QUALIFYING

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales gave a strong performance today at a hot TT Assen Circuit and ultimately secured 2nd place on the grid for tomorrow’s Motul TT Assen race. Team-mate Valentino Rossi had a more difficult time of it in the Netherlands today. Taking part in the Q1 session, he was unable to secure a spot for Q2 and qualified in 14th place.

2nd MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’32.157 / 8 LAPS

14th VALENTINO ROSSI  1’33.466 / 7 LAPS

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team‘s Maverick Viñales continued the positive momentum he had on Day 1 at the TT Circuit Assen, following it up with a strong Q2 session. He put in some blistering laps, setting the second fastest time. Valentino Rossi was unable to ride the hot lap he had in mind. He missed out on a Q2 spot and will start tomorrow’s race from the fifth row on the grid.

Viñales showed great pace all day, and he wasn‘t shy to push in Q2. He was the last rider to hit the track, to ensure himself of some clear space and used it to his advantage. His first lap put him in fourth place, but he was just getting warmed up in the bright Dutch sunshine. He was briefly pushed back to fifth, but replied by clocking the provisional third fastest time and entered the garage with over seven minutes remaining.

This time the Spaniard changed tactics. A quick minute later he dashed out of pit lane to be the first rider to start his final pole position effort. He was putting on his A-game, setting a 1‘32.157s to take pole, with a 0.304s advantage. However, the fight wasn‘t over. A charging Fabio Quartararo spoiled Viñales‘ plans. It was mainly between the two Yamaha men to take the honours, but the number-12 rider was unable to improve on his best lap on the next two attempts and finished the session in second place, 0.140s from first.

It was a disappointing qualifying day for Rossi. He was originally set for a place in Q2, but after the chequered flag came out in FP3, his hot lap was cancelled due to exceeding track limits. As a consequence, he had to take part in Q1.

The Doctor opted for letting most of the rider field exit pit lane ahead of him, before starting his shoot-out. His first lap put him in provisional third place, but the pace was heating up. Unable to improve on his next try (which was also cancelled), he returned to the pits to make some changes whilst lying in fifth place.

With three and a half minutes left, he started his second run on fresh tyres. He put in a 1‘33.336s, briefly moving up to third, and only just missed out on a top-2 result, but later also this time was annulled. He had one more lap left and, though losing some momentum in S2, ended the session in fourth place, with a 1‘33.466, 0,756s from first. He will start tomorrow‘s race from P14, on the fifth row of the grid.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“Starting from this morning, we had mixed results in the garage. On the bright side, Maverick’s speed is impressive. He featured at the top of the timesheets for almost every session this weekend, and it’s not just his one-lap speed that’s strong, he also has a competitive pace. His first-row start gives him a good chance to be a contender at the front in tomorrow’s race, and we think we still have some room for improvement in sector 3. Valentino was originally also lined-up to take part in Q2, but exceeding track limits in FP3 cost him dearly. He had to take part in Q1 and, to make matter worse, didn‘t have a good feeling on his first time attack. The second run was better, but it wasn’t enough to get him through to Q2. He will have to start from more towards the back than we had anticipated, but Assen is known for its multi-rider battles at the front, so the aim for him is to have a good start and opening laps tomorrow.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“I’m really satisfied. We worked really hard throughout the whole weekend, especially in FP3, when we worked more for the race than focusing on one lap, so this means we have a good set-up. It’s important for tomorrow to have a ‘normal’ and clean race, so I can push from the first lap until the end. I have nothing to lose, so I’ll be pushing 110%. It’s also very important to be consistent and precise on the track, so you don’t miss any corners. I will try to be at my best level tomorrow and get out in front, because it’s important for me to ride my own lines. I’m going to start from the front row and fight hard.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“It’s a great shame, because this morning I wasn’t so bad. I set a very good time on my last lap to get directly into Q2, which is always crucial. But unfortunately I touched the green exit on the last chicane and they cancelled the lap, so I had to go through Q1. I was still quite optimistic, because I was quite strong this morning, but with the higher temperatures I had more problems and less grip. Unfortunately, I was slower, so it was not enough to get into Q2.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

TAKA ON THE THIRD ROW IN ASSEN

Takaaki Nakagami will start Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix from the third row of the grid after an impressive performance at a scorching Assen on Saturday. Having finished Friday down in 16th position, the LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider made huge strides and demonstrated that he should be able to battle towards the front of the field tomorrow.

Needing to find plenty of improvement to secure an automatic spot in Q2, the Japanese star put in a superb display in the morning’s FP3 as he went fourth fastest, just behind Honda colleague Marc Marquez. He then posted the sixth quickest lap in qualifying but was subsequently demoted two places for cutting the track. Despite that disappointment, Taka believes he’s in good shape ahead of Sunday’s race.

Takaaki Nakagami – 8th

(1’33.295 – lap 7 of 8)

“I’m quite happy, because it’s quite a big improvement from yesterday from FP2. Of course the track condition was better, there was more rubber on the track and so everybody was much faster than yesterday which helps. Our set-up of the bike was much easier to ride today, but we still have to improve for the race because it still takes a lot of energy to ride this bike. I’m a little disappointed because I think qualifying was there to attack and when I saw the chequered flag I was P6, but after that I checked the second screen and I was P8 which I didn’t understand. But we spoke with race direction to see where I cut the track limit and I understand maybe the last chicane, on the right. But I am really close to the second row and we are improving all the time. It’s a really long race tomorrow and hopefully we can make no mistakes and be very focused during the race.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

CRUTCHLOW SIXTH FASTEST AT ASSEN

Cal Crutchlow got the best out of his RC213V to claim a spot on the second row of the grid for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix. Having secured an automatic place in Q2 at a sun-drenched Assen, the LCR Honda CASTROL rider battled hard to finish as the second best Honda in qualifying and will now look to take advantage in tomorrow’s race.

Having worked tirelessly on his set-up overnight, the Briton did enough to progress to Q2 as he posted the ninth fastest lap in a highly-competitive FP3 session. He then produced an excellent late surge in qualifying to shoot up the order and, after team-mate Takaaki Nakagami’s demotion, will now begin Sunday’s showpiece in sixth position.

Cal Crutchlow – 6th

(1’33.228 – lap 3 of 8)

“I qualified sixth, but I didn’t really have the pace for sixth, it was just lucky that nobody had the pace to get past me on the second run. We’re working hard, but the reality is we’re probably about the tenth quickest guy, but last year it was a ten-man battle at the front at one point so we’ll have to try and make some improvements in the morning. I didn’t feel much better on the bike today even though we tried more or less everything as always, from my point of view it’s clear where we’re losing time and we are working on it. We’re trying our best and I’m pleased to be on the second row”.

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:

#DutchGP Quali. Jack in TOP 10 and will start from row 4 tomorrow. Pecco fights for Q2 until last lap.

The torrid heat of the TT Circuit does not help the performance of the Ducati. Jack wins the direct qualification to Q2 after a good FP3 but he can’t find the right grip to be effective in the time attack. The Australian rider will start from P10 tomorrow. Pecco manages to take another step forward after free practices. In Q1 he is in second position after the first run but on the last lap, Pol Espargaro takes the qualification to Q2 for only 51 thousandths of a second.

P13 – Pecco Bagnaia

We have made progress in every session. We still need something, especially in two areas of the circuit. We have to work to see where we can find those 3-4 tenths we need to be competitive tomorrow.

P10 – Jack Miller

I can’t be satisfied with the qualifying. To be honest, I thought I could do better. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any grip on the soft tyres. The race pace with the hard tyre, however, is very good. We can have a good race tomorrow.

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

SIXTH Q2 ENTRY OF 2019 FOR ESPARGARO AT HOT TT CIRCUIT ASSEN

MotoGP 2019 – Round 8, TT Circuit Assen (NED)

Qualification for the Motul TT Assen saw Red Bull KTM take 12th and 18th positions on the grid at the famous circuit for the eighth round of nineteen in 2019 MotoGP. Pol Espargaro grappled with a painful right hand to set a lap-time 1.7 from the Pole Position effort, while Johann Zarco was seven places behind and just several tenths of a second adrift.

Fantastic summer conditions greeted the second and critical day of action at the Motul TT Assen for the oldest and one of the most prestigious Grands Prix on the calendar. The grandstands were already busy for the 71st running of the Dutch round and across a fast track that was bumpy in key spots but also offered considerable grip.

Pol Espargaro came to Assen struggling with a painful right hand as a consequence of his crash in the IRTA test directly after the previous race in Barcelona. The Spaniard had difficulty while turning and braking into certain corners but still persevered to make the cut in Q1 with his last (and quickest) effort of the weekend so far. Pol then tried to make inroads in the top ten with three attempts but finally rested his hand and accepted 12th after the fifteen-minute chrono.

Johann Zarco took profit of the work made in the last test in Catalunya to further develop his style and feeling with his racebike. The Frenchman dropped his fastest lap by 1.4 seconds between FP1 and FP2 and set his best time of the weekend in Q1 today but a late, slow speed fall in the session ended any more potential improvement.

Next door in the Red Bull KTM Tech3 pitbox, Miguel Oliveira was marginally faster than Zarco and will roll into 17th place as Hafizh Syahrin was the third of the KTM group in 19th.

Pol Espargaro: “For sure I am not riding as I want or I wish but it is what I have right now. It is better than in Barcelona where I could not move two fingers or my wrist up or down. We expect the race tomorrow to be really hot and very tricky for everyone. The whole grid might slow the rhythm and I will feel a bit more comfortable. Let’s see what lap-time I can hold.”

Johann Zarco: “Apart from FP3 we made improvements and went quicker in each session. I had a good solution that gave me a great feeling in FP2 and we were hopeful for Saturday but we reached a limit and couldn’t go any faster. A hard Saturday. In the top fifteen would be my first satisfaction tomorrow and to have a constant race. 26 laps will be long but I will be focussed on it and see if the others are struggling more than me with the used tyre.”

Miguel Oliveira: “I think we had a decent qualifying today. In the last run I felt I had a bit more potential to improve the lap time. Finally the sixth row on the grid is not so bad overall. We really want to finish in the points again so starting already close to these positions is an important step. I’m confident for tomorrow.”

Hafizh Syahrin: “I felt quite well and overall the qualifying times were really tight. For sure it will be interesting for tomorrow’s race. I try to make a good start, which is very important and of course give my best to stay on the bike. It should be a bit colder on Sunday, so I hope we did the right choice regarding the tyre. After two DNF’s, I really just wish to finish the race and come back with a smile.”