2018 Assen MotoGP Saturday Results

2018 Assen MotoGP Saturday Results

Marc Marquez took the 75th pole position of his GP career at Assen today, the 47th in the premier class, after a heart-in-the-mouth Q2 session in blazing sunshine at the classic Dutch TT circuit.

But it was as close as anything, with 11 of the top 12 within half a second, all but for one thousandth; and the names heading the list shuffling furiously as a gang of riders followed one another over the line in the closing moments.

2018 Assen MotoGP Saturday Results

When the chequered flag fell, Andrea Iannone (Ecstar Suzuki was on pole from Mugello and Catalunya winner Jorge Lorenzo’s Ducati. By the time the rest of them had finished the lap, they were knocked down to ninth and tenth respectively.

Marquez had always threatened over two days. He achieved it by less than half a tenth, at a track that has not always favoured him and the Repsol Honda

“It looks like this year we are able to have a good pace. One lap is not my strong point. I am better with race pace,” he said, threateningly. Combined times over the two days of practice bore him out.

The man pushing into second was Cal Crutchlow (Castrol Honda), who explained that when he saw a group of six or seven forming behind him, “I didn’t want to qualify eighth,” so he dropped to the back and then used their pace. “I knew where my bike was strong, and I didn’t push in the corners where it was not so easy.”

It was a surprising leap up the order for Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha), claiming a fourth successive front row; and a surprise that he had overcome the setback of a fast crash in the final free practice not long before. But no surprise at a track where he is always strong, with ten past wins.

He too had been helped by following a fast group. “It always helps at Assen, with the fast corners, and especially today because there was a lot of wind. After the crash in FP4, I could recover my rhythm after three or four laps. After that, it was a waiting game,” he said.

He pushed Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) to the second row by two hundredths. Earlier leader Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki) was fifth – a strong showing, after having to come through from Q1; and yesterday’s leader Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha) alongside, still barely two tenths off pole.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) heads row three from late-comer Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha), also through from Q1, and Iannone. Lorenzo, Alma Pramac Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci and Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Ducati) complete row four.

This left Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda) best of the rest, with former Assen winner Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) 16th, and the off-form Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 18th, all narrowly failing to get through from an equally close Q1.

2018 Assen MotoGP Saturday Results

MOTUL TT ASSEN
MotoGP Qualifying Classification 2018
Assen, Saturday, June 30, 2018