Dutch GP, Assen: 250cc Results FP2

Alvaro Bautista and Mike Di Meglio both crashed, but seemingly walked away uninjured.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 H. AOYAMA JPN Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'40.642
2 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 0.234
3 M. PASINI ITA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.314
4 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.438
5 A. ESPARGARO SPA Balatonring Team + 0.865
6 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 0.914
7 J. CLUZEL FRA Matteoni Racing + 0.986
8 A. DEBON SPA Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens + 1.076
9 H. BARBERA SPA Pepe World Team + 1.148
10 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 1.296
11 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 1.302
12 H. FAUBEL SPA Valencia CF - Honda SAG + 1.435
13 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc + 1.470
14 R. DE ROSA ITA Scot Racing Team 250cc + 1.559
15 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.641
16 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 1.645
17 A. BALDOLINI ITA WTR San Marino Team + 1.983
18 S. TOMIZAWA JPN CIP Moto - GP250 + 2.167
19 A. PONS SPA Pepe World Team + 3.739
20 V. DEBISE FRA CIP Moto - GP250 + 4.020
21 S. BONSEY USA Milar - Juegos Lucky + 4.551
22 V. LEONOV RUS Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 4.782
23 B. CHESAUX SWI Racing Team Germany + 4.839
24 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 4.889
25 T. MARKHAM GBR C&L Racing + 5.922

Dutch GP, Assen: 125cc Results FP2

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'45.994
2 B. SMITH GBR Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.119
3 P. ESPARGARO SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.254
4 A. IANNONE ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 0.339
5 J. SIMON SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.384
6 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones Team + 0.524
7 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 0.641
8 S. CORSI ITA Fontana Racing + 0.683
9 M. MARQUEZ SPA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 0.729
10 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.744
11 J. OLIVE SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.935
12 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia + 1.239
13 S. CORTESE GER Ajo Interwetten + 1.286
14 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Degraaf Grand Prix + 1.454
15 E. RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1.568
16 C. BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 1.694
17 L. ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 1.712
18 S. BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 1.723
19 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Interwetten + 2.040
20 L. SAVADORI ITA Fontana Racing + 2.051
21 T. NAKAGAMI JPN Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.106
22 J. ZARCO FRA WTR San Marino Team + 2.360
23 L. SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team + 3.127
24 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 3.209
25 M. VAN DER MARK NED Dutch Racing Team + 3.365
26 M. FRITZ GER LHF-Project Racing + 3.444
27 J. IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany + 3.732
28 K. PESEK CZE Pesek Team + 3.867
29 T. KOYAMA JPN Loncin Racing + 4.029
30 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 4.510
31 L. MARCONI ITA CBC Corse + 4.561
32 P. BIJSTERBOSCH NED Racing Team Bijsterbosch + 5.595
33 J. FOLGER GER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 5.989
34 L. VITALI ITA CBC Corse + 7.042

Out of limit time
R. POUW NED Team Holland

Assen: Thursday Team Quotes - 250cc & 125cc

250cc

1st Álvaro Bautista 1.40.817 (27 laps):
"To be honest the lap times weren't particularly quick today. We had a problem at the start of the session and the rear of the bike was sliding around a lot - also the engine wasn't working as it should be but as the session progressed we ironed things out. I'm still not completely happy with the rear of my Aprilia because it is not gripping and I can't open the throttle when I want to. So that is mainly what we need to work on tomorrow and I'm convinced we can make big improvements. It's not bad for the first day but we can't afford to go to sleep tomorrow. Barberá and myself are a little ahead of the rest but that doesn't mean anything because the pace will increase tomorrow. In our case we know where we can go faster and that is what we need to do in order for me to have fun on the bike."

3rd Mike Di Meglio 1.41.472 (25 laps):
"I'm really happy because I felt comfortable throughout the session. It was very windy but our pace was good - not incredibly fast but good enough for the first day and I'm satisfied. It is good to start out like this, to be up there from the first few minutes and to know that we can get better. I hope we can continue with this evolution tomorrow and consolidate our position amongst the top guys. The test at Valencia worked out well for us because now we have the chassis configuration more or less clear, even though we can refine it more on the second day here."

Aleix Espargaró:
"I'm really glad to be back in the World Championship - after such a long time away I'd almost forgotten what it's like! It's incredible how things can change - one minute you are sat at home and then you get a call four days before a Grand Prix from one of the biggest teams in the 250cc class to see if you will ride for them! I just tried to stay focused from the start today and even though the bike felt really small I just tried to get some laps in and get a feel for it. Thankfully the team helped me a lot - they just said get out there and ride until you feel comfortable. I honestly didn't know where the limit was so I just made sure I wasn't taking too many risks because the last thing I needed was a crash. At the end of the session Álvaro came past so I latched onto him and managed to get a fantastic lap in. The objective today was to break the ice and get a feel for the Aprilia, which I think we have done and then some!"


125cc

1st Julián Simón 1.46.725 (19 laps):
"The truth is that after what happened in Barcelona I really wanted to make a strong start here. I'm happy because even though Assen has never been a circuit that suits my riding style we've done a fantastic job today and I felt comfortable throughout the session. We've tried a few things with the engine, amongst other things, on the back of the tests we did at Valencia and in the end we found a tyre that we think can work well. First place is always a good result and it has filled me with optimism for the race, so hopefully we can have more good weather tomorrow. The incident at Montmeló left me feeling very highly motivated about this race and all I can think about is winning. I actually think we have a better chance of doing it here than we did in the last race. The team have been really supportive and told me to forget about Montmeló, so I'd love to pay them back with a win on Saturday."
 
2nd Sergio Gadea 1.46.925 (21 laps):
"I felt really comfortable during today's session despite a couple of problems with the front end. I managed to clock a '46.9 pretty early on but when I tried to push harder I was losing the front of my Aprilia to the point where at one stage I almost crashed. We put a softer tyre on and that stopped it from moving around so much, which made me feel better. We've set a good pace throughout the session and I'm happy because we still have plenty of room to improve. It is positive to start a weekend out like this and obviously providing we don't have a mechanical setback we can stay up there. Anything can happen in a race but I'll try and start as near the front as possible and hopefully be able to win! We've been consistent so far but now is the time when we need to start winning races."

4th Bradley Smith 1.47.113 (25 laps):
"It is nice to be competitive from the opening day, especially considering how hard we found it to get on the pace at Montmeló. We needed to make sure that everything was still working okay and today was a good start. I found it difficult to go any faster because it was quite windy out there today but on the other hand the track temperature was high and that helped us do our job. In general the lap times aren't that fast, probably because of the wind, but I expect we'll all pick the pace up tomorrow. It was a shame that I ran into a lot of traffic over the last three laps and it prevented me from getting a fast lap in but I'm happy with the job we've done. We'll work on finding a better feeling tomorrow with the front suspension and stiffen it up a little because today I couldn't brake as hard as I'd like."

Dutch GP, Assen - 250cc Results FP1

Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista again proved to be the fastest man of the field in the first 250cc practice today. After a slow start but with steady progress Alvaro Bautista finally snatched the top spot from Hector Barbera in the closing minutes of the session, held under sunny conditions. Teammate Mike Di Meglio made a good impression as well, finishing the day in third position with 0.655s off the leader.
Replacement rider Aleix Espargaro showed a great performance for the Balatonring Team, finishing in the Top 10.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap

1 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 1'40.817
2 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 1'41.002 0.185
3 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 1'41.472 0.655
4 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 1'41.680 0.863
5 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 1'41.710 0.893
6 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly - CP 1'41.832 1.015
7 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 1'41.866 1.049
8 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'41.941 1.124
9 Aleix ESPARGARO Balatonring Team 1'42.482 1.665
10 Thomas LUTHI Emmi - Caffe Latte 1'42.502 1.685
11 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 1'42.539 1.722
12 Hector FAUBEL Valencia CF - Honda SAG 1'42.674 1.857
13 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'42.744 1.927
14 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'42.817 2.000
15 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 1'42.888 2.071
16 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 1'42.890 2.073
17 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 1'42.900 2.083
18 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto - GP250 1'44.250 3.433
19 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 1'45.039 4.222
20 Stevie BONSEY Milar - Juegos Lucky 1'45.428 4.611
21 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 1'45.493 4.676
22 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 1'45.837 5.020
23 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto - GP250 1'45.899 5.082
24 Toby MARKHAM C&L Racing 1'47.246 6.429
25 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 1'47.530 6.713

Dutch GP, Assen - 125cc Results FP1

Business as usual in the 125cc class with Bancaja Aspar rider Julian Simon again clocking the fastest laptime of the day. This time however without as much domination with Simon taking the top spot from teammate Sergio Gadea only in the last minute.
Fellow Aspar rider Bradley Smith finished the day in 4th, the last rider to be within half a second of Simon's laptime.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 J. SIMON SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'46.725
2 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.200
3 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones Team + 0.318
4 B. SMITH GBR Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.388
5 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 0.552
6 M. MARQUEZ SPA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 0.847
7 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.899
8 S. CORTESE GER Ajo Interwetten + 0.994
9 A. IANNONE ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 1.049
10 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Degraaf Grand Prix + 1.136
11 S. CORSI ITA Fontana Racing + 1.160
12 L. SAVADORI ITA Fontana Racing + 1.216
13 S. BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 1.418
14 P. ESPARGARO SPA Derbi Racing Team + 1.519
15 E. RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1.597
16 J. OLIVE SPA Derbi Racing Team + 1.744
17 J. ZARCO FRA WTR San Marino Team + 1.918
18 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Interwetten + 2.296
19 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 2.371
20 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia + 2.455
21 C. BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 2.475
22 J. IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany + 2.758
23 J. FOLGER GER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.883
24 T. NAKAGAMI JPN Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.931
25 M. FRITZ GER LHF-Project Racing + 3.430
26 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 3.450
27 T. KOYAMA JPN Loncin Racing + 3.555
28 L. ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 3.592
29 K. PESEK CZE Pesek Team + 3.733
30 M. VAN DER MARK NED Dutch Racing Team + 4.092
31 L. MARCONI ITA CBC Corse + 4.916
32 L. SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team + 5.038
33 L. VITALI ITA CBC Corse + 6.406
34 P. BIJSTERBOSCH NED Racing Team Bijsterbosch + 7.210

Out of limit time
R. POUW NED Team Holland

Team Aspar explore Assen track with Olympic gold medalist

Members of the 125cc and 250cc Aspar Team had the honour to explore the Dutch track alongside bicycle racer and Olympic gold medalist Samuel Sanchez on Wednesday, even using the competition bicycles from Sanchez' Euskaltel team.
The host of Spanish MotoGP competitors was completed by British Aspar rider Bradley Smith and former MotoGP champion Casey Stoner.
Two rounds around the track saw the Olympic champion giving some advice and also doing some mini battles with the team members.

Alvaro Bautista: "It has been very entertaining to ride alongside Samuel Sanchez. To be with an Olympic champion in a circuit like Assen is not something that you can do every day, so I enjoyed the experience a lot. He started to race for a moment and people stayed behind while Elías and me have stayed close to his rear wheel and that was fun. To meet so important people of the sport is always a pleasure. David Arroyo, also a cycling professional, is from my area and I have trained with him a few times, you realize immediately that they are at another physical level, it is incredible."

Julian Simón: "It's been great to share a couple of laps on the Assen track with Samuel Sanchez. He told us some secrets of the world of cycling and he let us ride his competition bike, it is super light! I like cycling, I do it pretty often to keep fit. I am happy to have had the opportunity to meet Samuel and to have a little chat with him."

Bradley Smith: "I had a lot of fun, in the first lap Julian and I have attacked a little to give the afternoon some excitement. And riding alongside Samuel has been really incredible. I believe that it is very important to have to an Olympic champion between us, meaning to combine cycling and motobikes. Personally I would like to wish him the best of luck for his next races and simultaneously we will try and get a good result for him on Saturday."

Sergio Gadea: "It has been a very rewarding experience to be able to ride next to an Olympic champion in a mythical circuit like this one. I've ridden those kind of bikes before, but these are totally different from anything I tried before. They are so light that it seems that you don't really have anything under you. It's been a great way to start this GP and we now have warmed up our engines."

Aspar Team - Assen Previews

250cc

Álvaro Bautista:
"I think we're strong right now and we go to Holland with plenty of confidence and motivation after the victory in Barcelona. Assen is a circuit I really like, with a mixture of fast and twisty sections, and in general it's a nice place. Last year we won from pole and we have good references, so hopefully the weather can be on our side like it was at the last round so that we can set the pace again. Our objective will be to work hard from Friday and find the best set-up possible so that we have every chance of fighting for the win on Saturday. Being the series leader is a source of great motivation but you have to remember that there is still a long way to go in the championship and it is important we stay consistent. If I have a chance to go for the win I won't think twice about it, but if it's not on then I'll take as many points as I can."

Mike Di Meglio:
"Assen is a wonderful circuit and I like it a lot, so I hope I can perform well there. Last year things didn't go well for me in the race because I had some problems with my bike but hopefully in this new category and with this new team we can work well for this race. The idea is to continue to learn and make progress but I would really like to cap it off with a good race. Over the past couple of rounds we've done well in practice but for one reason or another we haven't been able to finish the job off on a Sunday. From now on I'll be taking extra care not to crash because we've thrown away too many points already."



125cc

Julián Simón:
"I really like Assen a lot. The old layout was better but it is still fun to ride here. I am really motivated because I know I can run at the front, even though we won't know exactly what we're capable of until we get out there. I'm sure that if we keep working as we have done up to now we'll be up there. The weather is going to be an important factor, as it always is here, and there's usually a day or two of rain. I really want to get back to winning ways, like at Le Mans, and be up there fighting for victory the whole race. I also want to put the disappointment of Montmeló behind me. Being back on top of the championship givers me a lot of motivation and I think it is a position befitting of the job we're doing."

Bradley Smith:
"After finishing eighth at Montmeló I'm looking forward to getting to Assen and fighting for a top finish. It wasn't a bad result and I'm still only a point and a half behind Julito but I was left with a bittersweet taste after that race. We have to think positive and keep working in the same way we have up to now. The Dutch TT last year was a strange race because of the red flag but I think I finished fifth, which isn't a bad result. I really enjoy riding at Assen - a lot of people I speak to say the old circuit was even more fun but I never had the chance to ride it. The first section is a bit slow and personally I prefer the second half of the lap because it's really quick. I think the work we did at the Valencia test should pay off because we improved engine performance."

Sergio Gadea:
"Assen is a circuit I've done well at in the past. Last year I broke down when I was in third place but I've been on the podium here before and I have plenty of good memories. I think I can be competitive here in wet or dry conditions and psychologically speaking we're strong after the podium at Montmeló and I think we can look for a top result. I just want to keep working as well as we have done up to now - I know we're 25 points behind Julián but we closed the gap in the last round and it is only one race difference, so it is up to us not to make any mistakes and to stay in touch. We'll try and do our job to the best of our ability in each race, not make any mistakes and I think our experience could play in our favour."

Dutch GP - Talma & Bati No. 1

Congratulations to both! :)

Dutch GP - Assen - Quotes 250cc after race

1st Álvaro Bautista
“I am very happy about this result, above all because after the past two races when we weren’t able to win in the final moments. This victory is very important for us, because it gives confidence and continues our run of podium finishes. The conditions were difficult, and we had to tweak the bike five minutes before the race. The asphalt was dry, but they declared a wet race, and at the midway point I wasn’t going to push when leading. All except for Luthi were far back. It rained again and things were back to normal. Sooner or later this result was going to come, so we’ll try and continue this form, the desire to win remains as strong as ever for myself and the team.”

11th Héctor Faubel
“The weekend has been all good apart from the crash on Saturday afternoon. This affected our grid position, and put us far back. I was fifteenth, but started well. I touched a few riders, and watched a nice battle between Espargaro and Lai. Things went well apart from at the midway point, when the rain made things a bit more difficult, but in general I’m happy with how things have gone and we leave Assen with a good feeling. The best part of all is that we have discovered a great setting for the future.”

Dutch GP - Assen - Quotes 125cc after race

1st Gábor Talmacsi
“It’s really incredible, one of the happiest moments of my life. The weekend was difficult, with the conditions on track, but thanks to my team we answered back in the race. The first part was bad, but the second start was where I motivated myself to the maximum and tried to keep my concentration up. During the break we made some adjustments to the engine and I think that we have cleared up exactly why I was able to go so fast afterwards. I had an intelligent last lap, and it’s incredible that we could take victory. I am happy for the win, which I didn’t expect, but the 25 points are even more important as they arrive at just the right moment.”

21st Pere Tutusaus
“It was a really strange race. They stopped and we were made to start again, but I didn’t feel at ease in either of the races. The weekend was developing well and I felt a good feeling with the bike, but I didn’t have any good starts and was behind from the beginning. I would have liked to have fought for the top fifteen, but I wasn’t able to do it. In Sachsenring we have another opportunity to continue learning, and I hope that things go better.”

Sergio Gadea (DNF)
“The warm up was wet, then before the race I was a little nervous because of the dry asphalt in some parts and wet sections. The sighting lap was where I saw that it was totally dry, and I picked up more confidence from that. I started strong, got in the front pack, and tried to take things calmly because I wanted to avoid other riders and the possibility of a crash. I think that I grazed a another rider and the exhaust gave out. The bike lost power, and that was really unfortunate. In Germany we will be back fighting for the front.”

Perfect Day for Team Aspar

After a brilliant win by Bancaja Aspar rider Gabor Talmacsi in a very short second part of the 125cc race, Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista took another brilliant and dominant win for the Aspar Team in the 250cc race right aftwards.

Congratulations to you both! :D

On to more wins to come this season. ;)

Dutch GP - Race 250cc - Bati wins!

Spectators of the Dutch GP in Assen were witnesses of a brilliant and dominant 250cc win by Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista.
Although started as a wet race all riders went out on slick tyres, because the track was mostly dry and only saw a few sprinkles of rain.
Alvaro had not a good start, also touching with a few riders in the first laps and was even down to 11th position at a time. After the first lap however he started his excellent chase for the win from 9th place, overtaking rider after rider and eventually catching leader Thomas Lüthi who already had an advantage of over three seconds.
With 8 laps to go, it slightly started to rain again and Alvaro started to go very careful, losing his 1,5 second advantage on Lüthi and falling almost two seconds behind. But two laps later, Alvaro gained confidence again, taking away over half a second of Lüthi's lead every lap and finally finished the race as a dominant winner with 4,5 seconds ahead. This win moved Alvaro up to 4th place in the championship with now only 38 points on the leader Kallio.
Teammate Hector Faubel just missed out on a Top Ten finish with the 11th place.


Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time

1 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team 40'54.117
2 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 4.597
3 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 6.003
4 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 9.034
5 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 9.079
6 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 11.515
7 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 12.874
8 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 13.622
9 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 21.168
10 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 28.789
11 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 37.607
12 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 37.741
13 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 38.729
14 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 39.165
15 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 43.037
16 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 54.171
17 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 54.334
18 F. WATZ SWE Jaap Kingma Racing + 1'24.430
19 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia 1 Lap
20 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia 1 Lap

Not classified
M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing 7 Lap
M. PASINI ITA Polaris World 13 Lap

Not finished 1st lap
R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia

Not starting
K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing

Dutch GP - Race 125cc - Talma wins!

After a red flag because of rain the 125cc class saw a re-start of the race in Assen today, with only 5 laps to go and no combined timing.
Bancaja Aspar rider Gabor Talmacsi took advantage of the re-start, having experienced a few engine problems in the first part of the race, and took a close yet brilliant win. Congratulations, Talma!
Youngster Pere Tutusaus gained yet more experience in the world championship, finishing on 21st place, while Sergio Gadea was struck by bad luck as he suffered a mechanical problem in the first laps of the race, riding on podium position at the time.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time

1 G. TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team 9'04.520
2 J. OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi + 0.128
3 S. CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB + 0.255
4 S. CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte + 0.340
5 B. SMITH GBR Polaris World + 0.425
6 E. RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 0.568
7 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport + 0.846
8 A. IANNONE ITA I.C. Team + 0.928
9 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB + 1.438
10 R. DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM + 2.554
11 S. BIANCO ITA S3+ WTR San Marino Team + 2.829
12 S. BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 3.021
13 T. KOYAMA JPN ISPA KTM Aran + 3.201
14 M. RANSEDER AUT I.C. Team + 3.600
15 H. VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix + 4.547
16 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport + 4.592
17 S. BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix + 4.819
18 J. CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing + 10.548
19 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 + 10.643
20 P. NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM + 10.849
21 P. TUTUSAUS SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 11.094
22 R. LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 11.854
23 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 13.716
24 L. ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 + 13.828
25 R. MURESAN ROU Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 16.155
26 M. VAN DER MARK NED Dutch Racing Team + 18.201
27 R. GULL SWE Ajo Motorsports Jnr. Project + 25.692
28 J. IWEMA NED Abbink Bos Racing + 29.208
29 E. DUBBINK NED RV Racing Team + 29.949
30 J. VAN DE BUNT NED Degraaf Grand Prix + 36.419

Not classified
T. NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team 2 Lap
L. ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran 2 Lap

Not started race re-start
R. LACALENDOLA ITA Matteoni Racing
S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team
S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior
E. VAZQUEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Junior
J. LITJENS NED Abbink Bos Racing
M. MARQUEZ SPA Repsol KTM 125cc

Pic of the Day: Alvaro's 5th Pole of the Year

Fifth pole position of the season for Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista and third in a row.
Let's hope for third time lucky that he can snatch the win tomorrow.

Dutch GP - Assen - Quotes 250cc after Final Quali

1st Álvaro Bautista, 1.39.510 (21 laps)
“This is my fifth pole of the season and I’m delighted about it. The lap times didn’t come down today because the conditions were worse than yesterday but I feel comfortable with the bike, even in the wind. The track wasn’t as grippy as yesterday but I was happy on the bike. We have changed a few details with the configuration and we got more and more competitive each time. The initial objective for the race is the same as usual – to do my job properly and have fun. Once we see the situation in the race we’ll decide on a strategy. We have to stay cool on track and be ready for anything. It will be a tough race if the wind is as strong as it was today but I think we’re ready and even stronger than we were for the last race, which was in similar conditions.”

15th Héctor Faubel, 1.40.972 (16 laps)
“My neck’s a bit stiff after the crash but I don’t think it’s anything serious. I was feeling really comfortable but had a completely stupid fall just after I’d gone out. This morning went well but the crash in the afternoon complicated things for us. We’ve had a good pace all weekend and ran up front during practice but could have done with an extra five minutes at the end. Unlike Donington we have things clear here and we know how to do well, so I’m happy with that. If I get a good start and stick with the group in front of me I can have a good race. Tomorrow we have another chance to learn a lot in the race and I don’t plan to let it escape. I’m really hopeful.”

Dutch GP - Assen - Quotes 125cc after Final Quali

9th Sergio Gadea, 1.46.318 (14 laps)
“It’s annoying to see myself right up there in free practice and then not be able to do anything about it in qualifying. I don’t think the bike is 100% set up and even though I tried to compensate for it through effort I was close to running off track on more than one occasion. We’re still having problems with the rear end of my Aprilia which are really affecting my riding and I can’t relax. The idea is to make the most of the warm-up and get a better feeling ahead of the race. After two days the race is still a question mark as far as I’m concerned. Aside from the ninth place start, if we have a useful warm-up then we can expect a good race.”

13th Gábor Talmacsi, 1.46.532 (13 laps)
“This has been the toughest weekend of the season so far for us. On the first day we had a few doubts and went down the wrong path, whilst today in the rain I was fast but still didn’t have a good feeling for my Aprilia. The problems are mainly coming from the front tyre. In the afternoon I tried to give my best but I made a few mistakes and couldn’t get a rhythm together with that wind. We’re not competitive right now but working together with my technicians and with a good warm-up we can go for it in the race. We’ve struggled with the wind at Donington and here and we’re some way of the right set-up for this kind of condition.”

24th Pere Tutusaus, 1.47.354 (15 laps)
“Today was tricky because of the weather. In the morning we rode in the wet and got a good feeling but in the dry this afternoon we struggled to get a rhythm together. I got with a group of riders ahead of me and was almost as fast as them. I came in to change tyres and we stepped the pace up bit but then I got held up by Nico and Smith and it cost me a good lap. I think it wasn’t possible to lap as fast today as we did yesterday because of the conditions, which were damp all day, and tomorrow’s race will be tough for us starting from 24th. We have to believe in ourselves, get a good start and try to make up positions.”

Dutch GP - Assen - Pics of the Day, Thursday

Dutch GP - Assen - Quotes 250cc after QP1

1st Álvaro Bautista, 1.39.510 (22 laps)
“I’m really happy because even though it’s only the first day we’ve lapped really well. I’ve improved my lap time from last year and even improved on the lap record at this track so I’m very satisfied. We didn’t have the perfect set-up this morning and I crashed at the end of the session. But in qualifying we changed the geometry of my Aprilia and I felt much more comfortable, to the point that I was able to set that lap time. The adjustments to the engine also worked and we’ve gained in acceleration. Because of the way the track is here you need the engine to be working perfectly. At the end of qualifying there was a lot of traffic on track and I was only able to get one fast lap in. Hopefully we can improve tomorrow and set a better pace – I’m sure everybody else will so we can’t go to sleep.”

12th Héctor Faubel, 1.41.178 (20 laps)
“Everything went well on this first day apart from the final five minutes of qualifying. We put a different tyre on to normal and I improved my time but I didn’t feel as comfortable as usual. We’ve started out with the same set-up as Mugello and Montmeló, which I feel comfortable with and I’m very motivated because Donington was a tough weekend from the start. This is one of my favourite circuits, I did well here on the 125cc last year and I want to continue that level in this category. The feeling is good and the pace too so hopefully we can improve on it tomorrow.”

Dutch GP - Assen - Quotes 125cc after QP1

9th Sergio Gadea, 1.46.318 (13 laps)
“Things started out well this morning but in the afternoon we altered the setting with a new rear shock to try and stop the bike sliding in certain corners and I didn’t like it. I had a couple of moments and we went back to the original configuration, but there was no time to improve. There are a couple of points on the track that we are finding more difficult than we expected but in general terms the first feeling is good. We’re still working well, harmony within the team is perfect and the settings we used this morning are a good reference point for the second day. If it doesn’t rain we should be up there.”

13th Gábor Talmacsi, 1.46.532 (14 laps)
“We weren’t too fast this morning and we can do much better. It is no excuse but a lot of my laps in the afternoon session were spoiled by traffic. I don’t think there’s a specific reason why we’ve not been fast today though – it’s just those small details that lose time off your lap. Fundamentally the fast corners are the biggest problem because the bike isn’t turning as it should. We need to study the telemetry tonight to try and iron out those little issues that are costing us time on each lap. I don’t know exactly what the situation is right now so we have to look into it and try to prepare for tomorrow.”

24th Pere Tutusaus, 1.47.354 (15 laps)
“Assen is a pretty cool track – my first impressions are really good. In qualifying I improved my best lap by over a second from the morning. I think that taking into account the fact I didn’t follow anybody it is a good lap time but we have to hope that it doesn’t rain tomorrow, as it is forecast, so that we can continue to improve. We experimented with the rear wheel because I went for the smaller one (115), as I did at Donington, but it was moving around a lot so I came in and changed to the bigger one (120). The change worked well but the fact it is a completely new circuit doesn’t help much.”

Dutch GP - Assen - Results 250cc QP1 - Alvaro on Top

Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista snatched the provisional pole position in the first qualifying at Assen with an incredible laptime of 1'39.510, almost half a second faster than the pole position record set by Jorge Lorenzo last year.
With rainshowers expected for tomorrow, it might be hard for the 250cc pilots to further improve their laptimes.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team 1'39.510
2 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.231
3 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.468
4 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 0.700
5 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 0.945
6 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 1.176
7 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 1.232
8 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 1.234
9 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 1.286
10 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.339
11 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 1.352
12 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 1.668
13 M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing + 1.670
14 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 1.775
15 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.896
16 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 2.033
17 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 2.123
18 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 2.170
19 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 3.598
20 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 3.735
21 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 3.754
22 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia + 5.957
23 F. WATZ SWE Jaap Kingma Racing + 6.326
24 R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia + 6.464