Fabio Quartararo became the third rider in MotoGP history to achieve 20 poles with Yamaha, joining the ranks of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. The Frenchman qualified in first place on the front of the grid for this afternoon’s Sprint and tomorrow’s Motul Grand Prix of the Netherlands. Read on for the Q1 and Q2 session breakdown.
Trackhouse Racing Loses One, Wins Another
After yesterday’s double red-flagged Practice session, teams and riders alike were looking for a much calmer afternoon for qualifying. Despite performing well for the majority of yesterday, Ai Ogura found himself out of the Top Ten due to the incredible crash coming out of Turn 11 that ended in flames. The lone Ducati rider, Fermín Aldeguer, and Honda HRC Castrol’s replacement rider, Aleix Espargaró, also found themselves facing Q1 after crashes hindered their chances to put in lap times.
It didn’t take long for all riders to come out swinging, with Australian Jack Miller setting the first fast lap before tumbling down the timesheet. Once again, Ogura found himself weighed down by his bike in the gravel trap, with much less fire involved this time around. As yellow flags were put away, Enea Bastianini parked his KTM right in front of Alex Rins around the apex of Turn 9, effectively ending the Yamaha rider’s flying lap. Bastianini was handed a 3-place grid penalty for slow riding after the session.
With five minutes left and only two riders advancing to the next session, all riders lit up the timing screen in red. Miller and Joan Mir threw everything they could to better their times, but it wasn’t enough to crack the top laps. Aldeguer and Raúl Fernández were too good and too fast, with the latter setting a lap time of 1:31.517.
A Masterclass in Qualifying Supremacy
The next fifteen minutes started quickly, with all of our Q2 advancers racing out of the pits for their first run. Francesco Bagnaia was followed closely behind by his Ducati Lenovo teammate Marc Márquez. Most of the riders had opted for the soft rear tyres, making it crucial to get as much heat in them as quickly as possible.
The legend Giacomo Agostini watched on in the Yamaha box as Fabio Quartararo came back to the top of the timesheet, with twelve-thousandths of a second separating him from Bagnaia. His teammate, the #93 rider, was feeling some discomfort after his crashes in yesterday’s sessions. After a quick stop in the pits, the Q2 riders came out to put it all on the line in the last five minutes.
Álex Márquez got his flying lap in early but found himself nearly pushed off the front row by Quartararo and Bagnaia. Marco Bezzecchi, the best-performing Aprilia of the qualifiers, faced some of the frustration coming from Á. Márquez. The Italian managed to clinch a spot on the second row with the older Márquez brother. The checkered flag came out, and Pedro Acosta found himself in ninth place and out of fuel to end the session.
Top 12 On the Grid
The Márquez brothers have been unbeatable in the Sprint races this season. However, Bagnaia has had a chance at pole position on a few occasions. Could he find himself a TT Circuit Assen winner this year, or can Quartararo cause an upset to storm ahead on the Yamaha? The Tissot Sprint later this afternoon will be our first taste of what is to come.