Game on as Pecco shatters the lap record at the Cathedral of Speed
Francesco Bagnaia has stormed to pole position for the Motul TT Assen, shattering the All Time Lap Record as he looks to breathe new life into his MotoGP™ World Championship title bid. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider set a 1:31.504 to beat the old benchmark at the TT Circuit Assen by more than three tenths of a second. Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) qualified second and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) was also on lap record pace as he grabbed the final berth on the front row.
Maximum bravery as rain threatens at Assen
With isolated spots of rain during Q1, and grey clouds hanging over Assen as Q2 got underway, riders had the hammer down straight away. Both Martin and Quartararo broke the All Time Lap Record on their first flying laps, the former on a 1:31.708 and the latter just 0.010 seconds slower. At the end of the opening runs, they were still top two and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) third at 0.311 seconds off the pace, with Quartararo returning to the pits via an excursion through the gravel at Haarbocht (Turn 1) but keeping his YZR-M1 upright.
Armed with a new Michelin soft slick tyre on the rear of his Ducati, Bagnaia then came out and charged to the 1:31.504 on the first flying lap of his second run. Martin lost the chance to improve further when he went down at De Strubben (Turn 5), and his error was punished when Quartararo pinched second place with a 1:31.620. ‘El Diablo’ was still pushing with the chequered flag out until he too nearly had a crash at De Strubben and while he managed to save it, the moment locked Bagnaia into a fourth pole position in the last six rounds.
Bezzecchi just misses the front row
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) went under the lap record too, setting a 1:31.796 which puts him fourth on the starting grid, while Free Practice pace-setter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) grabbed fifth with a 1:31.868. That was just 0.364 seconds away from pole and Espargaro must have felt he had more, considering he vented his anger at Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) when the Australian triggered a late yellow flag with a spill at De Strubben. Miller, who would be classified sixth on the 1:32.124 which he set on his first run, then had an even bigger…