MotoGP Assen Qualifying: Rossi on pole!

Valentino Rossi (R) is on pole position! His teammate Lorenzo is in 8^th

Qualifying at the Motul TT Assen has just concluded, and the MotoGP of the Netherlands has brought some surprises. MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP took pole. It is his first pole since mid-2014.

Although Rossi has been on the podium every race of the 2015 season, he is notorious for being a poor qualifier – he won 2^nd at the recently concluded MotoGP in Catalunya, but began that race in Row 3, at 8^th position.

The Italian had the fastest lap at the circuit this season too – a 1m 32.627s scorcher, which left closest competitors Aleix Espargaro of Suzuki and double world champion Marc Marquez trailing in second and third respectively. Espargaro put in a solid performance at qualifying in Catalunya as well, but did not complete that race.

Marquez, recovering from injuries, has had several crashes this season, but put in a solid performance this qualifier to finish with a time of 1m 32.886s, just about 0.03 of a second behind Espargaro. Both drivers were significantly behind polesitter Rossi , who was a good two-tenths clear.

Rossi’s teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who has won all of the last four races in what has been an absolute blitzer of a season, did not do as well at Qualifying in Assen, finishing 8^th – like his teammate did last race.

The Doctor has been strong all the way since coming into the race – he led both the first and third practice sessions before securing pole today.

Suzuki’s Espargaro was initially tipped to take pole, as he held the lead until towards the end of qualifying when Rossi, who was at the time in 5^th, powered forward to grab the lead.

Lorenzo aside, Ducati did not have much luck at qualifying either – while both riders are through to Q2, it was Andrea Iannone, currently recovering from a humerus fracture, who finished relatively high up the grid in 6^th. Iannone is having a good season as well – he grabbed a career-first pole at his home Grand Prix in Italy, finishing that race in second behind Yamaha’s Lorenzo. Teammate Andrea Dovizioso finished in 10^th and will begin the race in row 4.

Repsol Honda had a good show today, and not just for Marc Marquez. Teammate Dani Pedrosa, who finished on the podium at the Catalunya Grand Prix was right behind him in 4^th. Aleix Espargaro’s younger brother Pol, who rides for Monster Yamaha, followed on Row 2, which was rounded up by Iannone.

Catalunya revelation Maverick Vinales, who put in a solid performance at Qualifying in the recently held Catalunya Grand Prix, was in 9^th. Like his teammate Aleix, he did not complete the Catalunya GP, so it would be premature to predict his race performance.

Q2 was rounded up by British rider Bradley Smith of Monster, the teammate of the younger Espargaro, Pol.