German GP, Sachsenring - 125cc - Results

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 39m57.337s
2. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 9.415s
3. Joan Olive Derbi + 17.559s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 17.587s
5. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 19.740s
6. Sandro Cortese Derbi + 20.778s
7. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 20.908s
8. Daniel Webb Aprilia + 38.221s
9. D.Agerter Derbi + 38.434s
10. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin + 40.085s
11. R.Krummenacher Aprilia + 44.127s
12. Marcel Schrotter Honda + 45.051s
13. Luis Salom Aprilia + 59.604s
14. Cameron Beaubier KTM +1m18.157s
15. D.Kartheininger Honda +1m20.825s
16. Marc Marquez KTM +1m25.137s
17. Efren Vazquez Derbi +1m30.427s
18. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m30.528s
19. Jasper Iwema Honda + 1 lap
20. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia + 1 lap
21. T.Finsterbusch Honda + 1 lap
22. Damien Raemy Honda + 1 lap
23. Johann Zarco Aprilia + 1 lap
24. Luca Marconi Aprilia + 1 lap

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Scott Redding Aprilia 19
Stefan Bradl Aprilia 18
Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 17
Simone Corsi Aprilia 16
Jonas Folger Aprilia 15
Michael Ranseder Aprilia 8
Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 6
Eeki Kuparinen Honda 3
Bradley Smith Aprilia 3
Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1

FASTEST LAP:
Gadea, 1m28.337s on lap 6

German GP, Sachsenring - 250cc - Results

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 27m11.034s
2. Alex Debon Aprilia + 0.479s
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia + 0.528s
4. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda + 0.866s
5. Hector Barbera Aprilia + 1.260s
6. Hector Faubel Honda + 5.972s
7. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia + 8.721s
8. Thomas Luthi Aprilia + 8.762s
9. Raffaele De Rosa Honda + 19.176s
10. R.Locatelli Gilera + 27.950s
11. Alex Baldolini Aprilia + 29.601s
12. Lukas Pesek Aprilia + 38.299s
13. Shoya Tomizawa Honda + 51.940s
14. Jules Cluzel Aprilia + 52.919s
15. Bastien Chesaux Honda +1m06.786s
16. Axel Pons Aprilia +1m20.573s
17. Toby Markham Aprilia + 1 lap
18. Imre Toth Aprilia + 1 lap
19. Joakim Stensmo Honda + 2 laps
20. Valentin Debise Honda + 4 laps

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Mattia Pasini Aprilia 16
Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 16
Karel Abraham Aprilia 8
Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 0
R.Wilairot Honda DNS

FASTEST LAP: Bautista, 1m24.552s on lap 19

German GP - Quotes Friday

125cc

1st Julián Simón 1.28.594 (15 laps): “the truth is that we’ve taken a lot of positives out of today because this is a circuit I like a lot and I was highly motivated to do well. I was quickly able to tell that I was going to be able to enjoy riding the bike here and I was comfortable form the start, even though we still have some things to work on – in particular with the engine. We need to focus on adjusting the gear ratio to improve the acceleration and get out of the corners quicker. Hopefully the weather is better to us tomorrow so that we can everything sorted for the race. I’m happy with our performance in the wet because I did two laps and went pretty quick. I feel good one way or the other so we’ll wait and see what we can do tomorrow. I’d like to get the work done tomorrow that will allow us to fight for victory on Sunday because it is very important to hang on to the championship lead over these next two races.”

3rd Bradley Smith 1.29.423 (19 laps): “It was amazing how the conditions changed in just a matter of minutes. The good thing is that even though we didn’t have much time we were able to test things in the wet and in the dry. It is also good to have a basic idea about which direction to go in tomorrow, when we’ll be working a little more on the setting of the engine. It is a slow process so we have to work hard on making sure everything is right, without taking any risks because if not the race will be upon us before we know it. I’m happy because I know the team will be working hard on the bike tonight so that we only have small things to work on tomorrow.”

5th Sergio Gadea 1.29.776 (17 laps):“In general I’m very happy although we had a small carburetion problem in the dry - the bike was cutting out at the end of the straight, and it wouldn’t rev, especially at the top end. We were working hard on it and it seems as though we found a solution just before it started to rain. I felt comfortable in the wet and in the dry and I think we have a good base set-up, we just need to squeeze a bit more out of the engine now. I’m not obsessing about Sunday’s result – just making sure we work hard over the weekend as we have done so far and I know that will be enough to ensure we’re at the front in the race.”


250cc

5th Mike Di Meglio 1.25.493 (25 laps): “I am happy because I’ve spent the last couple of weeks relaxing and trying to prepare myself as well as possible to come here with my batteries fully charged and so far everything is going well. This is a tough circuit with the 250 but thanks to my mechanics, who did an incredible job, I was able to get a good feeling straight away. As the laps went by I found my reference points and worked out the characteristics of this track. The mechanics were on top of me throughout the session trying to find a chassis set-up that made the Aprilia feel as comfortable as possible. The engine worked well so basically as long as the weather is good tomorrow we’ll try our best to perfect the set-up for Sunday.”

8th Aleix Espargaró 1.25.771 (26 laps): “It was important for me to get a few laps in at the start of the session in order to get a feel for this circuit but the telemetry wasn’t working well and I had to do short runs, with several pit stops to try and solve the problem. I couldn’t get any rhythm together and when I did go out I got held up, so it was difficult. Thanks to the magnificent work by the mechanics we worked it out in the end and I was able to set four good laps. The truth is that once we found the solution everything was fantastic and I’m happy because I got my pace together and those four laps are the ones that count. I was a bit lost for the first part of the session but it’s fair to say I’m getting used to riding the 250 again. After a day of adaptation today, tomorrow will be when we really get to work. You spend virtually the whole time leaned over at this circuit so it will be important to get the Aprilia turning well.”

11th Álvaro Bautista 1.25.836 (30 laps): “We usually have set-up problems at this circuit and today I tried a couple of new configurations, one of which I like quite a lot. Being a second off the pace is a big gap but it could have been worse so we have to stay optimistic and be prepared to improve tomorrow. Sachsenring is a difficult circuit in that the faster you try to ride the slower you end up going, and you find yourself with more and more work to do. Let’s wait and see if we can improve things tomorrow, mainly on the front end. The key to it is in T2 and if we can improve through there we will be much closer. We knew things wouldn’t be easy here and now we’re even more determined to work at it tomorrow. I have confidence in the team and we’ll all give 100% to improve the set-up of the bike for the race.”

German GP - 250cc Results FP1

Held in dry conditions.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time
1 H. BARBERA SPA Pepe World Team 1'24.951
2 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.461
3 M. PASINI ITA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.464
4 A. DEBON SPA Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens + 0.530
5 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc + 0.542
6 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.579
7 H. AOYAMA JPN Scot Racing Team 250cc + 0.769
8 A. ESPARGARO SPA Balatonring Team + 0.820
9 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 0.862
10 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 0.883
11 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 0.885
12 J. CLUZEL FRA Matteoni Racing + 1.119
13 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.293
14 H. FAUBEL SPA Honda SAG + 1.469
15 R. DE ROSA ITA Scot Racing Team 250cc + 1.537
16 A. BALDOLINI ITA WTR San Marino Team + 1.594
17 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 2.460
18 S. TOMIZAWA JPN CIP Moto - GP250 + 3.153
19 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 3.236
20 V. LEONOV RUS Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 4.151
21 V. DEBISE FRA CIP Moto - GP250 + 4.564
22 B. CHESAUX SWI Racing Team Germany + 4.652
23 T. MARKHAM GBR C&L Racing + 5.311
24 A. PONS SPA Pepe World Team + 5.569

Out of limit time
J. STENSMO SWE Nordgren Racing
M. BECKER GER Yamaha Road Racing Team
R. HALEN SWE Promotion Scandinavia AB

German GP - 125cc Results FP1

Heavy rainfall and thunderstorm halfway through the session prevented the riders to improve their laptimes.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 J. SIMON SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'28.594
2 M. MARQUEZ SPA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 0.671
3 B. SMITH GBR Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.829
4 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones Team + 0.984
5 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 1.182
6 S. CORTESE GER Ajo Interwetten + 1.258
7 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 1.373
8 S. CORSI ITA Fontana Racing + 1.403
9 J. OLIVE SPA Derbi Racing Team + 1.433
10 S. BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 1.458
11 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Degraaf Grand Prix + 1.519
12 A. IANNONE ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 1.728
13 P. ESPARGARO SPA Derbi Racing Team + 1.753
14 E. RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1.805
15 J. FOLGER GER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 1.962
16 M. SCHROTTER GER Toni - Mang Team + 1.978
17 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Derbi Racing Team + 2.008
18 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia + 2.018
19 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Interwetten + 2.028
20 T. NAKAGAMI JPN Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.039
21 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 2.359
22 D. KARTHEININGER GER Freudenberg Racing Team + 2.405
23 L. SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team + 2.480
24 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 2.729
25 L. ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.836
26 C. BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 2.949
27 J. ZARCO FRA WTR San Marino Team + 3.362
28 M. RANSEDER AUT CBC Corse + 3.395
29 T. FINSTERBUSCH GER Freudenberg Racing Team + 3.512
30 J. IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany + 4.179
31 L. SAVADORI ITA Fontana Racing + 4.669
32 E. KUPARINEN FIN Ajo Motorsport Jr. + 5.065
33 D. RAEMY SWI RBS - Honda Racing + 5.960

Out of limit time
L. MARCONI ITA CBC Corse
L. VITALI ITA CBC Corse
T. KOYAMA JPN Loncin Racing

Aspar double win in kart race.

Ahead of this weekend's German GP a host of MotoGP riders took on the Sachsenring via karts, driving around a small karting area in support for Riders for Health.
Riders particpating in the race included Marco Melandri, Toni Elias, Alex de Angelis, Niccolo Canepa and various others from the small categories.
The final showdown was won by Balatonring Aspar replacement rider Aleix Espargaro, followed by Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista and Repsol Honda man Andrea Dovizioso.

German GP - Preview Quotes

125cc

Julián Simón: "I'm really looking forward to the German Grand Prix because Sachsenring is a circuit I like and a place I have tended to go well at in the past, both in 250 and 125. Last year I qualified second and finished fifth despite the wet conditions. Sachsenring is well suited to my riding style and the team and myself are ready to keep working hard to continue picking up good results and defending top spot in the championship. The objective for the race is to avoid any kind of incident and finish as high as possible - if that means victory then so much the better. At this stage of the season it is really important to consolidate our position in the championship. I also think it is time to go on the attack a bit more and see who is really up for the fight for the title."

Bradley Smith: "I scored a good result at Sachsenring last year and it's kind of weird that I'll be racing in the Aspar Team colours this year because I spent the whole race last year fighting for the podium with Talmácsi. In the end I finished fourth so I hope it can be different this time. I tend to go fast straight away at Sachsenring and I've qualified on the front row for the past two seasons so I'm optimistic and I think we can aim to be on the podium on Sunday afternoon. It is a fairly straightforward circuit - tight and twisty - and the lap times tend to be close, so we have to be really focused on finding those last few tenths. The majority of corners are left-handers so the wear and tear on the left hand side of your tyres and your body is higher than at other tracks. Other than that, I just want to get a good result and generate even more motivation, if that's possible, to take to my home race at Donington."

Sergio Gadea: "Sachsenring is a circuit I like quite a lot and it is where I scored my first World Championship points. I have good memories of it but also some bad ones because I haven't managed to finish the race for the last couple of years there. I'm highly motivated and I would like to be fighting to win again but if that's not possible I'll take as many points as I can. The second section is where I tend to have most difficulty at Sachsenring but I think the work ethic we have shown so far this season should help us work it out. Sachsenring is a twisty track where chassis set-up is crucial to having a bike you feel comfortable on. I spent a day celebrating after my win at the Dutch TT but other than that I have trained constantly to make sure I stay just as strong at the next few races."


250cc

Álvaro Bautista: "We head to Germany full of motivation and strength, having left with the taste of honey on our lips at the last Grand Prix. We have to respond to what happened there but without losing our heads. Even though we lost the championship lead there is no need to panic because the gap is not a huge one and it is important we just continue to work as we have been doing, picking up as many points as possible. The Aprilia is perhaps not best suited to the Sachsenring circuit and the Honda will definitely be a more effective package here so we have to work as hard as we can on the set-up to make sure we are ready for Sunday. It is a twisty circuit that is more suited to go-karts than motorcycle racing. I've spent the last two weeks relaxing and putting the Assen crash behind me, having taken a heavy blow to my elbow. I've also been able to keep up my training regime and stay in good shape."

Mike Di Meglio: "Sachsenring is a very technical circuit and I like it a lot. I always really enjoyed racing there on a 125 so I hope it's the same on a 250. Hopefully I can get a good feeling from the start on Friday and prepare well during practice so that the race is more straightforward. The idea is to continue working hard with the team as we have done up to now and make sure we are completely ready by Sunday. I led for most of the 125 race last year and in the end I won with quite an advantage over the line, so hopefully I can show my ability again this year and finish with a good result. I've been able to get some rest over the past couple of weeks but I've also been training hard."

Aleix Espargaró: "I've been looking forward to getting back on the 250 ever since Assen because I enjoyed it so much. This is another big opportunity for me and I want to make the most of it, just as I did two weeks ago. Sachsenring is a small and slow circuit where I have gone well in the past, so I hope to continue that tradition and enjoy myself on the bike again. A short while ago I was testing at Valencia on a Moto2 bike and I was back there at the weekend for the CEV (Spanish Championship) race. At the start of the year I didn't have a bike to ride and now I am barely off one! I am really excited by the Moto2 project and by the opportunity to replace Bálazs for a couple of races with the Balatonring Team. Hopefully everything continues as well as it has done up to now!"

Martinez On Reduced Seating For European F1 Grand Prix

A small piece of slightly off-topic Formula One news today - because it involves Jorge Martinez, who as well as running our favourite 125 & 250 squads, is also active more broadly in Spanish motorsport and is heavily involved with the F1 Valencia GP, which makes its second appearance on the Formula One calendar later this year.

Apparently, the Valencia street circuit is planning to reduce its seat capacity for this year's European Grand Prix. Last year's event, the first in the Spanish city, had a seat capacity of 112,000, but organisers said on Thursday that there will be reduction of around 35,000 seats, bringing the capacity down to 75,000.

Jorge Martinez, vice-president of the race's promoters Valmor Sport, said tickets sales had been slower than last year, and also said the row between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association was partly to blame for the slow ticket sale.
"It (the row) has slowed things down a lot," Martinez told the EFE news agency. "The only thing I'm hoping for is that the last few months are erased, because there has been people who have talked too much."

Aspar Celebrates 200 Podiums

The year is 1992, the circuit is Interlagos in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A rain-hit qualifying session sees Jorge Martínez "Aspar" start from 25th position on the grid. The signs were not good for the man from Alzira until the green light was shown and from that point things could not have gone better as he passed rider after rider until finishing second behind the German Dirk Raudies, who celebrated his first Grand Prix victory. It was a second place that began a new era of success for the Aspar Team and a new chapter of history in motorcycling legend. The fourth World Champion did not take long to score his first victory as rider and manager of his own team. It came later that season at the Kyalami circuit after a hard-fought group battle with Raudies, Gresini and Giró. Looking back it feels like only yesterday that Jorge Martínez "Aspar" made that transition from rider to rider-manager and a whole new success story was born.
 
The Spaniard exuded the same passion for racing as a manager that he did as a rider and it wasn't long before the Aspar Team established its reputation as a popular and credible team on the world stage, with more podiums and victories soon to follow that early success. In 1997 the moment finally arrived for Jorge to hang up his leathers but not before signing off in style in Indonesia, where he started from pole position and finished on the podium in third place after a hard-fought battle with Valentino Rossi. Having swapped his race bike for an office chair, Aspar was able to look on and enjoy as his podium standards were maintained by Aspar Team riders. The tradition which started eighteen years ago has continued to this very day, when Gadea´s victory took the team to a sensational 200th podium in the 125cc race at Assen, with another podium treble for the three Bancaja riders. Almost two decades of comings and goings, the smell of fuel and burnt rubber, celebrations and laps of honour, of national anthems, of holding back the tears. of podiums. The list goes on, but suffice to say these are just a handful of the experiences shared by the team over the years. Who could forget the sight of Fonsi Nieto in 2002, stricken on the wet asphalt of the Estoril circuit, down but not out as he remounted to take an unthinkable victory? Or the pass by Toni Elías on Marco Melandri to take victory in the final corner at Motegi in 2003? It also would be rude not to mention the fourteen podiums scored by Álvaro Bautista in 2006, the icing on the cake coming with the celebration of the 125cc World Championship title in Australia. In fact the 2006 season was the most successful on record for the Aspar Team, with 41 podiums in all classes and historic rostrum trebles in the 125 races at Istanbul Park and Montmeló. Aspar riders dominated the series again in 2007, with another podium treble at Valencia and another world title in front of the team's home fans. Italian, French, Argentinean, English, Hungarian, Japanese and of course Spanish riders have all contributed to make the Aspar Team the most successful line-up in the smaller categories of the World Championship.  
 
Jorge Martínez "Aspar":
"For me it is very fitting to celebrate our 200th podium here at Assen because this is where I scored my first Grand Prix win, back in 1984. It is now 30 years since I began my racing career. Who would have thought that that little 15-year-old, who only wanted to race bikes, would be here today enjoying such a special moment? It is a double satisfaction, firstly for the 200 podiums but also to have seen the variety of riders that have passed through our team, from so many different countries - it is a wonderfully enriching experience. I would like to personally thank each and every one of those riders who have left their mark on this team, all the mechanics, staff and of course sponsors who over the years have given us the necessary backing to support this Project."     


Source: Aspar Media

Assen 250cc GP - Results In Full

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time
1. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 40m44.008s
2. Hector Barbera Aprilia +4.424
3. Marco Simoncelli Gilera +10.339
4. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia +11.383
5. Roberto Locatelli Gilera +11.596
6. Alex Debon Aprilia +14.265
7. Karel Abraham Aprilia +17.982
8. Hector Faubel Honda +19.012
9. Rattapark Wilairot Honda +20.926
10. Raffaele de Rosa Honda +21.033
11. Mike di Meglio Aprilia +32.128
12. Lukas Pesek Aprilia +41.329
13. Alex Baldolini Aprilia +1:05.321
14. Valentin Debise Honda +1:12.451
15. Imre Toth Aprilia +1 lap
16. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia +1 lap


Retirements

Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 22 laps
Bastien Chesaux Honda 19 laps
Axel Pons Aprilia 16 laps
Toby Markham Honda 14 laps
Steve Bonsey Aprilia 13 laps
Mattia Pasini Aprilia 13 laps
Thomas Luthi Aprilia 10 laps
Jules Cluzel Aprilia 5 laps
Shoya Tomizawa Honda 0 laps

Assen 125cc GP - Results In Full

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap
1. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 39m07.577s
2. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 0.078s
3. Julian Simon Aprilia + 0.901s
4. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 12.356s
5. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 12.400s
6. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 20.468s
7. Jonas Folger Aprilia + 20.755s
8. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 21.263s
9. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 21.558s
10. Marc Marquez KTM + 21.941s
11. Joan Olive Derbi + 23.605s
12. Efren Vazquez Derbi + 28.406s
13. Dominique Aegerter Derbi +1m00.312s
14. Marvin Fritz Honda +1m00.355s
15. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia +1m00.615s
16. Luis Salom Aprilia +1m00.629s
17. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia +1m00.997s
18. Michael van der Mark Honda +1m01.030s
19. Jasper Iwema Honda +1m08.795s
20. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m09.076s
21. Johann Zarco Aprilia +1m14.817s
22. Karel Pesek Derbi +1m30.729s
23. Luca Marconi Aprilia +1m46.244s
24. Pepijn Bijsterbosch Honda + 1 lap
25. Luca Vitali Aprilia + 1 lap


Retirements:

Esteve Rabat Aprilia 11 laps
Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 9 laps
Cameron Beaubier KTM 5 laps
Sandro Cortese Derbi 4 laps
Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1 lap
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1 lap
Scott Redding Aprilia 1 lap
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1 lap
Danny Webb Aprilia 0 laps

Assen GP - Mixed Fortunes For Team Aspar

250cc

11th Mike Di Meglio:
"I had a good start and tried to pick up positions quickly. At the beginning I was riding with the lead group, so I had to push to keep up with them. I felt very comfortable riding, but suddenly the rear end of my bike started to slide out. I thought that the traction control would help me out, but I gradually came to realise that it was a rear tyre issue. I couldn't enter the corners well, especially the right handers. I aimed to keep focused and avoid crashing. When I got back to the garage I saw that my tyre was completely destroyed, which was a big disappointment for us. I think we could have been up at the front."

Álvaro Bautista (DNF):
"My plan was to take it right to the end with Aoyama, because I saw that in the final sector I was quicker than him and I could try a pass. I think that I could have done it, but maybe he had a problema with the bike that stopped him in the chicane. I ran into the back of him and couldn't do anything. The crash is a pity because we could have taken at least twenty points, and the incident has lost us the leadership of the championship. We have to look at the good side though, we had a good race and showed that we are very strong. The results will keep coming if we keep working like we are now."

4th Aleix Espargaró:
"I am very happy with this result, and it is an incredible feeling to finish this weekend in such a position. Apart from Friday we were in the top five for every practice session. It was a hard race, but at the start I really got off well and felt comfortable. My Aprilia wasn't responding how I expected, although after the sixth lap it had picked up temperature and allowed me to ride more calmly. It was a beautiful race, as I don't think that I've ever overtaken so many riders. I knew that the start would be crucial, so I really concentrated on getting up to the front. At the end of the straight everyone hit the brakes early, so I made the most of it to get ahead. I found my spot in the race little by little, and I think that fourth is an incredible result after going so long without riding a two-stroke. This race was like a gift for me, and I want to thank the team for all their support."



125cc
 
1st Sergio Gadea:
"I am sincerely very happy with the win, as I haven't taken victory since the Qatar race at the start of last year. Everything is going well for us, and the team are working to perfection. I think that we are groing and growing, and we have won because of consistency. Today I won, but the important thing will be tos tay at the front for every race. It was a beautiful race, and I had an intense battle with Simón and Terol. I lost a bit of time with Iannone, but I recovered quickly, and then I rode an intelligent race to wait for my moment."
 
2nd Julián Simón:
"This circuit has never been good to me, so this result is a positive. I am very happy, and have to thank the team for the effort they made. We had some doubts about the tyre choice, and in the end we put the soft rubber on. Thanks to them we were a lot more comfortable for the whole race. Gadea and Nico's bikes were a little faster, so it was tough to try and keep up. I tried to keep behind to stop them passing me back. I was braking as hard as possible, but Nico was as well, posible, pero él so in the end we went parrallel and he went straight on. On Thursday we were warned that running off the escape route would result in a penalty. This is another good result for us, a strong second place."
 
3rd Bradley Smith:
"It has been a difficult race, as at the start I couldn't get up to the front to try and break away. My plan was to wait five or six laps behindd the group, watching how the race developed. Gadea passed Iannone and oponed a gap, but when I tried to pass we started our fight. I had a great feeling with the Aprilia at all times, although I would have liked to have been fighting amongst the top three in the race. It is a pity, but when the races turn out like that there's not much more that you can do. I'm still feeling good about the podium, and that we are still up at the top of the standings. In summary, it has been a successful weekend, so I'm happy with the result."

Assen GP - Friday Qualifying Quotes 250cc & 125cc

250cc

3rd Álvaro Bautista 1.40.210 (22 laps):
"I had a few problems with the front end in corner entry this afternoon, which I think is because we were running a used front tyre and a new rear. About halfway through this afternoon's qualifying we started to make some progress with the bike and I began to enjoy myself. In the end it was a good session, with a good pace, so I hope I can keep riding like I want to tomorrow in both the warm-up and the race. We were really close to pole but the most important thing was to be on the front row and we've done that. I'd like to improve the bike a little more before the race tomorrow just to be on the safe side but I think the fight will be between the same people as Barcelona, with Aoyama and Barberá both looking good. This morning we tried a few things with the front-end set-up and went down the wrong route at one point, which is what led to the crash, but I'm not worried because we know what the problem was."

9th Mike Di Meglio 1.41.072 (19 laps):
"I had two crashes this morning so it didn't leave us much time to test anything. One of them was caused when I tried to dodge another rider and the other was when I braked too hard into turn six. Luckily it was nothing more than a scare and I was able to continue riding. My mechanics did a great job to put both bikes back together so that I could ride again in the morning and then in the afternoon. We had a few chassis issues that meant we couldn't quite find the perfect set-up but I'm confident we can work it out in the warm-up. The main thing is to get the Aprilia turning better because I'm struggling with the direction changes."

5th Aleix Espargaró 1.40.796 (21 laps):
"I'm really happy with how the weekend is going. It is still early days but the results have been very positive so far. I started out yesterday looking to give it my best shot and I've worked hard since then, clocking up a lot of laps and gathering my confidence on this bike. Little by little I've started to enjoy myself and I was able to ride aggressively today. I have recovered the spirit I had in the last six races of last season although I spent half a lap behind Marco this afternoon and I could see that I am still some way off the pace of the guys at the front - basically because I don't have the same feel they do with the front. I'll try to get a good start tomorrow, stick it out in the second group and see what happens. The team have really got behind me, they are helping me a lot and I'd love to be able to pay them back with a good result."



125cc

2nd Julián Simón 1.45.441 (16 laps):
"I saw Cortese waiting for me on the penultimate lap in the chicane but there wasn't much time left so I just had to go for it. I pushed hard but I couldn't get away from him, so congratulations to him because it was a good lap. In generally I'm happy with today despite trying a tyre I didn't like. We've also had a problem with the gearbox, I couldn't get in and out of sixth well, but I think we'll be competitive in any condition tomorrow. It will be interesting tomorrow because I think it could be a much closer race than usual, there are a lot of guys with a chance of running at the front. I'll go out and give my best to try and get clear of the group so I don't get involved in any fighting and risk a crash. My objective is to win but above all maintain my lead in the championship so I won't be risking anything."

5th Bradley Smith 1.45.712 (19 laps):
"It is typical at Assen to have riders hanging around looking for a tow but when you only have one qualifying session you have no option but to push as hard as you can for a good time even if somebody tags along. Anyway, I'm happy with the job we have done, my pace is good and I was able to push as hard as I wanted to. My Aprilia is working really well and I've felt comfortable all day. I'm fifth on the grid and we'll have to wait and see what the weather does because the forecast is for rain. My pace in the dry is good, even on a used tyre, so I'm calm. If it is a dry race I'm sure we'll see a group of seven or eight riders fighting for the win, so it is going to be a tough race. The most important thing will be to stay in the group and we'll see what happens as the race progresses."

9th Sergio Gadea 1.46.125 (19 laps):
"The session went well this morning, as did the afternoon, although we made a change to the gear ratio that cost us a bit of engine performance in T4, which is the section I like the most and where I usually make up the most time. I had to be really light on the brakes but I'm happy because our pace throughout the session was in the low 46s and I was able to set my qualifying lap on my own. We're ninth on the grid but I'm sure I can run with the lead group tomorrow and it's going to be a hard fight. This is a fast and fun circuit with a lot of overtaking points so it is to be expected that so many riders want a piece of the action at the front."

Assen GP - 250cc Qualifying Times

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1:40.019 22
2. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1:40.192 + 0.173 21
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1:40.210 + 0.191 22
4. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1:40.320 + 0.301 19
5. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:40.796 + 0.777 21
6. Alex Debon Aprilia 1:40.830 + 0.811 20
7. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 1:41.023 + 1.004 21
8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1:41.055 + 1.036 21
9. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1:41.072 + 1.053 19
10. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1:41.190 + 1.171 20
11. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1:41.235 + 1.216 20
12. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1:41.347 + 1.328 20
13. Hector Faubel Honda 1:41.462 + 1.443 16
14. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1:41.533 + 1.514 22
15. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1:41.545 + 1.526 21
16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1:42.038 + 2.019 19
17. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1:42.628 + 2.609 14
18. Stevie Bonsey Aprilia 1:42.697 + 2.678 13
19. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1:43.075 + 3.056 13
20. Axel Pons Aprilia 1:43.470 + 3.451 21
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1:43.653 + 3.634 19
22. Imre Toth Aprilia 1:43.913 + 3.894 20
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1:44.704 + 4.685 21
24. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1:44.743 + 4.724 17
25. Toby Markham Honda 1:46.758 + 6.739 14

Assen GP - 125cc Qualifying Times

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m45.430s
2. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m45.441s +0.011
3. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m45.644s +0.214
4. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m45.679s +0.249
5. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m45.712s +0.282
6. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m45.911s +0.481
7. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m45.956s +0.526
8. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m46.063s +0.633
9. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m46.125s +0.695
10. Marc Marquez KTM 1m46.164s +0.734
11. Joan Olive Derbi 1m46.188s +0.758
12. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m46.214s +0.784
13. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m46.278s +0.848
14. Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1m46.681s +1.251
15. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m46.812s +1.382
16. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m46.888s +1.458
17. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m47.087s +1.657
18. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m47.311s +1.881
19. Dominique Agerter Derbi 1m47.341s +1.911
20. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m47.728s +2.298
21. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m47.728s +2.298
22. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m47.933s +2.503
23. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m48.217s +2.787
24. Michael van der Mark Honda 1m48.505s +3.075
25. Marvin Fritz Honda 1m48.510s +3.080
26. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m48.664s +3.234
27. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m48.777s +3.347
28. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1m48.784s +3.354
29. Karel Pesek Derbi 1m48.801s +3.371
30. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m49.413s +3.983
31. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m49.863s +4.433
32. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m49.922s +4.492
33. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m51.578s +6.148
34. Pepijn Bijsterbosch Honda 1m51.811s +6.381
35. Roy Pouw Aprilia 1m54.484s +9.054

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