MotoGP Assen Preview

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Lorenzo leads championship to historic Assen for 80th TT

Having barely had time to catch their collective breath after Jorge Lorenzo's brilliant MotoGP win at Silverstone in the UK yesterday, the Fiat Yamaha Team arrives at Assen in the Netherlands today to set-up for the Dutch TT, which celebrates its 80th Anniversary this weekend. As tradition dictates the race is always held on the last Saturday in June, after which the paddock heads directly to Barcelona for the third race in this punishing triple-header.
Once again the team will be missing Valentino Rossi, with the Italian now entering his third week of recuperation at home in Italy following his accident at Mugello. Lorenzo however is doing a superb job of steering the ship single-handedly and he now holds a 37-point lead in the championship over Andrea Dovizioso. Three wins and two second places from just five races is impressive even when compared to Rossi's soaring standards and the imperious way in which the young Mallorcan won on Sunday is proof that he is running at the top of his game as the season heats up. The 23-year-old finished a strong second to his team-mate at Assen last year and has two 250cc and one 125cc wins there to his name as well, claiming it as one of his favourite tracks.
Assen has long been thought of as a somewhat magical track in the minds of Grand Prix racers and it remains a popular destination today, despite undergoing some drastic alterations a few years ago. It is still one of the most physically demanding circuits on the calendar and, with its constant twists and turns, is also one of the most technical. It was originally based around the public roads and the camber changes in some places still reflect that. These, added to the high-speed chicanes, traditionally favour the nimble Yamaha M1. The 80th Anniversary of TT racing at the track is the 62nd time it has formed a part of the Grand Prix World Championship and it remains the only track on the calendar that has held a race every year since the Championship's inception.


Jorge Lorenzo; "My favorite Track"
"We have started this run of three races in a row as perfectly as we could have wished and Silverstone was a great race and very important for the championship. But now we move on and we just have to try to continue in the same way. Next we arrive at Assen, my favourite track, and once again we're aiming for the podium. The team is working very well together and now we will just concentrate on trying to improve the M1 even more; it's important to keep growing. I've won at Assen in 125 and 250 so I'd really like to try to win in MotoGP!"
Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager Jorge Lorenzo; "We cannot relax"
Jorge likes Assen a lot and he and our whole team are going there feeling very strong. We have no worries with the bike and a comfortable cushion in the championship. That said we cannot relax and Jorge must stay focused at this busy time of the championship, which I am sure he will. Of course the weather is always a question in Assen but we were lucky in Silverstone so hopefully we will find the same in Holland."

 

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Honda riders ready for dutch treat

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) return to the Netherlands for the Dutch TT on the legendary Circuit van Drenthe where they?ll work to continue Honda?s impressive record of a podium finish in every grand prix of the 2010 MotoGP season as it now heads into its most intense stretch.

A change of venues didn?t bother Dovizioso in England. One year after his breakthrough win in the rain-hit British Grand Prix at Donington Park, Dovizioso scored a brilliant second place in the first British GP at Silverstone since 1986. The Italian swapped second with fellow Honda rider Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) for the first 10 of 20 laps before seizing the position for good on lap 11. Once in second, Dovizioso became the rabbit for a pack of riders that would number five as the race entered the crucial final few laps. The 24-year-old Italian came under direct attack from Nicky Hayden (Ducati) on the final lap, but Dovi brushed off the move and sped to second.

With his fourth podium in five races, Dovizioso was promoted into second in the championship standings behind race winner Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). Now he heads to Assen ?motivated and confident? and hopeful of taking another step forward in the constant development of the Honda RC212V.

Team-mate Pedrosa is now third in the championship after a difficult weekend which he?ll put behind by the time practice begins on Thursday for Saturday?s race, the only Saturday race on the calendar. It?s also the second of three races on consecutive weekends. And, after a one week break, the series continues with two more back-to-back races, in Germany and the U.S., making five races in six weeks on two continents.

Pedrosa, who?d scored a dominant win at Mugello prior to Silverstone, started quickly in England, but was frustrated to find he couldn?t keep pace with the leaders. From the start of the race he suffered from a lack of rear traction on the track surface, which was a relatively cool 29C. Though he didn?t achieve the finish he?d hoped for, Pedrosa came away content that a pair of crashes hadn?t affected his race pace.

Having finished third and second in Assen, Pedrosa will be looking to climb to the top step of the podium and feels that the Honda RC212V is well suited to Assen. He said that it was ?a circuit which requires an agile machine because there are several fast direction changes - as there are at Mugello - so it would be nice if we get another result like in Italy.?

De Puniet continues to impress in what is his best season to date. The LCR Honda rider put his Honda RC212V into the mix with the factory riders in Silverstone and will be looking for more of the same in Holland. The Frenchman likes the flowing nature of the 4.555kms track, which he believes has a number of corners that have the same feel as the best of Silverstone. With five races run, de Puniet is the highest placed non-factory rider, currently sixth in the points standings.

Team-mates Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) and Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) arrive in Holland after divergent fortunes in the United Kingdom. Melandri was off to a flying start when he fell on the first lap, an outcome he?s happy to be able to so quickly brush off. Simoncelli was in the thick of the battle for second until the final few laps when he secured seventh place, his best MotoGP finish to date and the fourth race in a row where he?d improved his finishing position. Assen will be yet another circuit that the class rookie will be seeing for the first time from the saddle of a MotoGP machine, but his ability to adapt quickly on a track where he?s finished on the podium the past two years should serve him well.

Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) will miss the Dutch TT after suffering a fracture of the T12 vertebra in a vicious high-side in the Silverstone Sunday morning warm-up. Following a preliminary examination at the track?s medical center, the decision was made to transfer Aoyama to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

The Japanese rider is expected to return to his European base in Barcelona on Tuesday to get a second opinion. Only then will a course of action for his rehabilitation and date for his return to racing be determined. Further updates are expected in the coming days.

The 2010 running of the Dutch TT is the 62nd at the only circuit to host a grand prix since the birth of the World Championships in 1949. Assen was always known as ?The Cathedral,? a flowing, high-speed track that demanded concentration to link the various corners and bravery into the final chicane where races were often decided in full view of the always packed main grandstands. The track has been gradually shortened and the most recent changes, in 2006, took away some of the circuit?s personality, though the final section and chicane remain. Adding to the Dutch experience is the unpredictable weather. It will almost certainly rain at some point on the weekend, though the track drains well, which makes for exciting wet weather racing.

European marques won every race from 1949 to 1965 before Honda?s breakthrough win in 1965 with the legendary Jim Redman. A year later Mike ?The Bike? Hailwood won the last of his four Assen titles, and first on a Honda, by beating the great Giacomo Agostini on the 7.704kms layout.

Randy Mamola gave Honda their next two victories, in 1984 and ?85 on the now 6.134kms circuit. World Champions Wayne Gardner, Alex Criville, Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, and Nicky Hayden have also won for Honda in Assen, along with several others, including Tady Okada, Sete Gibernau, and Alex Barros. From 1984 through 2009, Honda is the wins leader with 15, by far the most of any manufacturer. Hayden?s 2006 victory came on the 4.555kms track, shortened from 5.997kms the previous year.


HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) says:
?We go to Assen very motivated. After the second place in Silverstone on a new track, we look forward to race on the historical track of Assen. It?s not one track that I particularly like after the modifications, but we feel strong and we will be strong also there. The characteristics of the circuit are not so favourable for us, because it has a lot of corners with high speed, but we are really confident and we look forward to do another step forward. We are improving race after race, so I?m happy and we will work hard to be faster and be able to fight for the win.?

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) says:
?It?s good that we are going to Assen straight after Silverstone because it gives me and the team an early opportunity to put the last race behind us and work towards another strong result like we had at Mugello. We will learn from what happened at the British Grand Prix and then move on. It?s fortunate that I?m not hurt after Silverstone and I?m confident we can get right back on the pace this weekend. Assen is a good track - even if it was better before they changed it a few years ago - and I like riding there. It?s a circuit which requires an agile machine because there are several fast direction changes - as there are at Mugello - so it would be nice if we get another result like in Italy. The team is working really hard and I?m confident we can make a good start in first practice at Assen and have a competitive weekend. The crowds and the history create a special atmosphere at Assen so I?m looking forward to getting out on track again.?

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) says:
?I like the Assen circuit very much as it is a floating track and suits my riding style; some corners are the same as the Silverstone track. Last year I finished seventh, but I presume we can get a better result this year because I can rely on my machine. Assen could be another good track for us to maintain the sixth position in the classification.?

Marco Melandri (San Carlo Gresini Honda) says:
?I feel much more confident going to Assen than I have done about the past few races. We had a great weekend at Silverstone up until a small mistake in the race. Finally on the Sunday morning at Mugello we found a better base setting to work from and I am sure we are going to be more competitive in the upcoming races so I?m happy. My opinion of Assen is that they spoiled it in 2005 and I don?t like it as much, but they have made the corner around the back of the paddock faster now so I prefer it. After the first three turns the track is quite flowing so it should be a place that suits our bike well.?

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Gresini Honda) says:
?I?m starting to feel really good on the bike and I hope to continue with this progression. I have a seventh place finish under my belt and I am finding the right level of confidence with the bike. What I need to do now is be more consistent when the tyre performance drops over the last few laps but overall things are looking positive. Assen is a circuit I like and I hope I can improve on my result from Silverstone and take another leap forward. My past results at the Dutch TT haven?t been brilliant ? I remember I was leading one year in 125 and crashed on the last lap after touching with Luthi and was third for the past couple of years in 250. However, as I said it?s a circuit I like so I hope to have a good race there. Apart from the first hairpin it should suit the Honda so I am confident.?

 

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SIXTH SEASON MOTOGP GRAND PRIX IN THE TULIP LAND

The first of three consecutive race of this calendar has just ended. Green Pramac Racing Team riders finished the Silverstone's race gaining a tenth place with the young Aleix Espargar? and a thirteenth place with Kallio. The riders may already be trying to improve their results this Thursday in Holland, in the legendary Assen circuit. This will be the six-three GP that will be raced on this track. Even if it has a short history, the Pramac Racing Team has managed to get some satisfaction here in Holland in 2002 scored a second place when the Pramac bike was ride by Max Biagg, a fourth place was scored the following year always with the Italian rider. In the following years there were mixed results, but always far from the podium. Last year Mika Kallio was having a great race, he was in the sixth position when he unfortunately slipped in the last corner. The hope is that on this track, the Finn will return to high levels.


Paolo Campinoti - Team Principal Pramac Racing

"The Silverstone result have leave me a bitter taste, especially if I consider what had happened Friday morning when Aleix was in the eighth position. I am still proud of the work done by the Team that has allowed Aleix to finish for the third consecutive Grand Prix, in the top ten rankings. Unfortunately the weekend was marked for Mika by some new English track adapting problems, however, he have done everything to be able to conclude the race in the best way. He also had a good start, but unfortunately in the final laps he was unable to overtake the riders ahead of him and he has finish the race in the thirteenth position. The Dutch track is a track where we had some success in the past, especially in our early years with Biaggi when we have got a podium and a fourth place. Aleix and Mika had also some success on this track in recent years, Mika has scored a victory in 2006 in the 125cc class, Aleix has scored on this track, his best result in the 250cc class, a fourth place last year. My hope is that both riders can improve their positions in the starting grid and that they will become protagonists of a great race. We are aware of their value and we will work to offer them a perfect bike for this track. "

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing

"Unlike the other tracks, the stage had started very well in Silverstone. Friday was alright, I scored an eighth place and thought to be able to finish the race among the first eight or still fighting for an important position. I had some qualifying problems that not allowed me to get a good starting position suited to my expectations and I ended the race in tenth position, which is still a good result. I have just run five times in Assen, four times in the 250cc and one time in my rookie season in the 125cc, obtaining as best placing the fourth place last season driving a 250cc. I hope to immediately have a good feeling with the track so that I can try to improve my lap times."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing

"Silverstone's result is not exciting, a thirteenth place after starting in last place is not the best. But I think that the last race was good to understand that my shoulder is not a problem anymore and that I can try to do my best without worrying about the pain. In a way my season starts now. I was able to win a race in Assen in my last 125cc season in 2006. It 's a wonderful track, shame that in the recent years I have failed the opportunity to give the best of me. Last year unfortunately, I had some problems in qualifying, I have started the race from the twelfth position, I managed to recover until the sixth and in the last corner of the last lap, unfortunately, I slipped. It 's time to repay the trust that my Team have always repose in me, this must be my weekend!

 

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DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM PREPARE FOR 80TH EDITION OF HISTORIC DUTCH TT

The Ducati Marlboro Team makes the short trip from the UK to Holland this week as the legendary Assen circuit prepares to host the 80th edition of the Dutch TT this Saturday. The sixth race of the season comes in the middle of an intense period of races for the MotoGP world Championship, which moves directly to Spain next weekend for the GP of Catalunya.

Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden are happy for the opportunity to get back on track so quickly, however, with both riders still feeling like they have a lot to prove on the Desmosedici GP10. The pair have special MotoGP memories of Assen with podiums and victories to their names there - Hayden having taken the win in 2006 and Stoner in 2008.

CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team
?I have made some mistakes at times this year and at other times we have struggled to find the right set-up but for one reason or another things have not worked out as they should done despite the fact we have had opportunities to do well and even win races. We have the pace, we have a competitive technical package and the whole team is doing a great job, as always, so hopefully we can put everything together at Assen. We found a good set-up in the warm-up last Sunday ? we could have maybe done with a little more grip but in general I was happy with the bike so in theory we should be on the pace in Holland too. I don?t want to make any predictions, just keep working well with my team and see if together we can turn this situation around.?

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team
?Assen is a unique and special circuit and I have had some of my best races there. It has been changed a lot over the years ? some sections are better and some are worse ? but there are a lot of long sweeping corners and the grip is good so you can use it to generate speed. The best part of the track is the last ?left-right? switch, a place where you can make a decisive pass on the brakes if you get it right. I?m not happy with the result from Silverstone and at Assen I?d love to be able to take advantage of our recent progress with the set-up of the bike to get a better result.?

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
?Whenever I think of Assen I smile because it was the track I made my final World Supersport win at as a rider and because both our riders have won there in MotoGP! Joking aside, even though the latest modifications have taken a little of the excitement away it is still a nice track, similar to Silverstone in the way the corners link together but without the bumps and with good grip. Since we found a good set-up for the British track we hope we can start practice well on Thursday and make the most of the potential we know we have for the race.?

THE TRACK
This weekend marks the 80th edition of the Dutch TT, which also formed part of the first World Championship season back in 1949 and has stayed on the calendar ever since. In 2006 the track under went major alterations, with the removal of the majority of the Northern Loop section, making way for the TT World fans? area. The rest of the circuit retains much of its original character, making it one of the most technical and physically demanding tracks on the calendar. Unlike a lot of other circuits, which feature long straights and medium-fast corners, Assen is tight, flowing and characterised by high-speed corners and quick changes in direction. Even the surface is unusual, with many sections cambered in the style of a public road to aid drainage, which is often required due to the frequently inclement weather.

ASSEN CIRCUIT INFO

Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha 2008), 1?36.558 -168,8 Km/h
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1?35.520 - 171.670 Km/h
Circuit Length: 4,555 km
MotoGP Race 2010: 26 laps (118.43 km)
MotoGP Schedule 2010: 14:00 Local Time
Number of laps: 26
Race distance: 118.430km

PODIUM 2009: 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Casey Stoner
POLE 2009: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2009), 1?36.025 ? 170.768 Km/h

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM?S BEST RESULTS AT ASSEN
2009: 3rd (Stoner)
2008: 1st (Stoner)
2007: 2nd (Stoner)
2006: 12th (Hofmann)
2005: 7th (Checa)
2004: 8th (Capirossi)
2003: 6th (Capirossi)

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ? RIDER INFO

CASEY STONER
Age: 24 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia)
Residency: Switzerland
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP10
GP Appearances: 132 (71xMotoGP, 31x250, 30x125)
GP Victories: 27 (20xMotoGP, 5x250, 2x125)
First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 22 (18xMotoGP, 2x250, 2x125)
First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007)

Stoner?s MotoGP track record at Assen:
2009: Qualified: 4th. Race: 3rd
2008: Qualified: 1st. Race: 1st
2007: Qualified: 2nd. Race: 2nd
2006: Qualified: 12th. Race: 4th

NICKY HAYDEN
Age: 28 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP10
GP Appearances: 121 (121xMotoGP)
First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP)
Number of victories: 3 (3xMotoGP)
First GP victory: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
Pole positions: 5 (5xMotoGP)
First Pole: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden?s MotoGP track record at Assen:

2009: Qualified: 13th. Race: 8th
2008: Qualified: 4th. Race: 4th
2007: Qualified: 13th. Race: 3rd
2006: Qualified: 4th. Race: 1st
2005: Qualified: 5th. Race: 4th
2004: Qualified: 16th. Race: 5th
2003: Qualified: 12th. Race: 11th

 

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Rizla Suzuki looking to bounce back at the Dutch TT

Publish Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Rizla Suzuki has set up camp in the Assen paddock for the second race in a tough mid-season schedule as it prepares its attack on the Dutch TT.

Loris Capirossi and ?lvaro Bautista are heading to the race with positive attitudes, despite a difficult weekend last time out at Silverstone. Capirossi had a strong race at Assen in 2009 and was battling for a top-five position before another rider forced him off the track on the last corner, causing the Italian racer to finish ninth after fighting to stay onboard.

Bautista has a proud history at the Dutch TT in the smaller classes, with victory and pole position in 2008 on a 250cc machine, as well as a further podium finish and front row start in 2007 ? also on a 250 - this feat mirrored what he achieved in 2006 as he also secured a front-row start and a top-three finish in the 125cc class..

The Dutch TT is traditionally held on the final Saturday of June and this year?s event is in a run of five races in six weekends for the MotoGP circus, which started in England last Sunday before culminating at Laguna Seca in America at the end of July. The Assen circuit has had a small alteration to the layout for this year?s race that sees the lap distance decrease by a few metres to 4,542m. A favourite with many fans and riders alike, the Assen circuit is the only venue to have held a motorcycle Grand Prix since the beginning of the championship in 1949; it is also the 80th anniversary of the running of the Dutch TT. Since its inaugural race in 1925, the event has been run every year since then with the exception of the period 1940 to 1945.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track for the first time on Thursday afternoon for an hour of practice; this is followed by a further hour on Friday morning. Qualifying will take place in the afternoon and the riders will line-up for round six of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Saturday 26th June.

Loris Capirossi:

?We need to re-group and come out strong at Assen, we know that we can perform so much better than we did at Silverstone and we need to show it. The whole team is working so hard and we are always trying to find the best solution, maybe we just need a bit of luck to go our way. I have had a couple of unlucky races at Assen in Rizla Suzuki colours, I was injured in 2008 and couldn?t race and then I was knocked off the track at the end of last year?s race when I was going for a top-five position, hopefully I can get that bit of luck on my side here and it will make a difference!?

?lvaro Bautista:

?I really like the second half of the Assen track, it is very complicated and it flows nicely so it makes for some good racing. The first part is not so good since it was changed, but it is still quite demanding and physical to ride. I am feeling stronger every time I get on the bike now and during the race at Silverstone I felt like I was able to ride the bike how I wanted for the first time since my injury. That is a good sign coming here and if I can continue with that then I am sure we can have a good race.?

 

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Assen - Grand Prix of The Netherlands

Event: Dutch TT - Free Practice
Date: 24th June 2010




LORENZO LEADS THE WAY DURING FIRST ASSEN PRACTICE

Just four days after his commanding win at Silverstone, Lorenzo served up more of the same form during the first free practice session at Assen today. The Mallorcan continued to keep the Fiat Yamaha Team at the forefront of the action despite Valentino Rossi's absence with a dominant performance at his favourite track on the opening day of the 80th Dutch TT.

Lorenzo found himself comfortable and fast on his M1 from the start of the session, taking the lead mid-way through and remaining at the top of the standings as he consistently improved his time. The 23-year-old tried both the soft and hard Bridgestone tyres and worked especially on the front tyre, having encountered some small problems in that area at this race last year. The track has undergone an alteration to the chicane at turns six and seven, meaning Lorenzo's time today was almost a second quicker than Rossi's pole of last year. Casey Stoner finished just 0.011 off Lorenzo today, with a further half-second gap back to Nicky Hayden in third.

Jorge Lorenzo Position: 1st Time: 1'35.169 Laps: 28


"I am happy with today and I feel very good on the bike; the weather is perfect and I love Assen! The new corner is very fast and I really like it, it's great fun to ride through the chicane at such a speed. We could probably have a bit more traction but we have two more sessions to work on this and then we will try to get the best possible grid position again. The team is working so well and the ambience and atmosphere in our garage is amazing at the moment."

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager


"The weather is unbelievable which we're really happy about because it can be quite nasty here, but it looks like being very consistent, which is exactly what Jorge was today! He enjoyed it from the start and this showed in his times. We tried both the soft and hard Bridgestone tyres and worked a bit on the front, where he had some issues last year, but it looks good so far. We think the track will be about two seconds faster in the end so we can definitely find some more pace tomorrow, but we've made a good start here in Holland."




Combined Free Practice Times



1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'35.169
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'35.180
3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'35.686
4. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'35.699
5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 1'35.868
6. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'35.922
7. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 1'35.927
8. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'35.942
9. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'36.002
10. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'36.269
11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'36.294
12. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 1'36.735
13. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'36.786
14. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 1'37.261
15. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'37.384
16. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Interwetten Honda MotoGP 1'41.332


Assen: Record Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 1'36.558

Assen: Best Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'35.520

 

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Positive signs for Rizla Suzuki in the Netherlands

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has shaken off the blues from Silverstone last week and started this weekend?s Dutch TT at Assen on a more positive note.

Loris Capirossi (P13, 1?36.786, 27 laps) and ?lvaro Bautista (P15, 1?37.384, 25 laps) both used the information they had from Silverstone to good effect as they set about closing the time gap between themselves and the rest of the pack. Capirossi?s team made fundamental changes to his Suzuki GSV-R and he was able to reap the benefits as his lap times improved and the team were able to see a clear direction to go for the rest of the weekend.

Bautista is still struggling with his shoulder injury, especially on the physically demanding 4,542m Assen circuit. He did improve both his bike?s setting and his lap-times during the session and is confident that the stronger he gets, the quicker he will get.

Today?s? practice was held in dry and sunny conditions with air temperatures getting up to 27?C, helping to generate more grip for both Rizla Suzuki riders as the track temperature rose to 44?C. World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo set the quickest time of the day.

Rizla Suzuki has one more practice session tomorrow morning, followed by qualifying in the afternoon. The 80th running of the Dutch TT takes place on Saturday 26th June at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Loris Capirossi:

?The temperature has been much warmer here and we have started to use a different setting to make the tyre work for us. We have got a better feeling today, but it still needs to improve a bit. We used a shorter bike today than usual to try and get more grip on the back and this did help. Tomorrow we will try to make the bike go a bit quicker overall, because at some points we are struggling. We were also a bit too soft on the spring so we will change that for tomorrow. I am much happier than I was in Silverstone, my position is not so good today, but I know we can improve a lot!?

?lvaro Bautista:

?We started with the same setting that we finished with at Silverstone to try and get more grip on the back and I think we still need to work quite hard because I don?t have a good feeling in the front, so we must improve on this. This track is harder and more demanding to ride than last week for my shoulder. I still need a more strength and I feel a bit more tired than I did in Silverstone. After some more practice - and with the bike getting better - It should be less effort to ride and I will be able to improve my times. We still have to work hard and do our best step-by-step.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Given how far away we were at Silverstone and the extreme difficulty faced that weekend, the first hour of running here at Assen has been a lot more positive. The lap-time and the consistency is a lot closer to the group from fifth to tenth position, which is where we believe Loris and the bike can be, as we strive to rebuild our season. We?ve had to take a different direction here, so the bike has at the moment, a different feeling for both riders. That being the case, we should be able to take some significant steps tomorrow and improve our potential. The feeling in the camp is certainly more positive than it was last weekend and we?re looking to get our season going here in Assen!"

Tim TT Assen Free Practice Classification:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1?35.169: 2. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.011: 3. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.517: 4. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +0.530: 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.699: 13. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.617: 15. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +2.215:

 

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GREAT START FOR ESPARGARO' IN ASSEN: SEVENTH. KALLIO FOURTEENTH

Perfect weather today in Assen, with about 27 air degrees and 44 on the asphalt. The Pramac Racing Team riders, Mika Kallio and Aleix Espargaro, started very well finishing in seventh and fourteenth place respectively. Since the first rounds the Catalan rider, Aleix, has proven to be very competitive on the Assen track and finished among the fastest, despite a brake problem that saw him lose a bit of time. After the first half of the session, Aleix was in the fifth place just five milliseconds from the fourth position occupied by Dovizioso. The two tenth of a second that are separating the Spaniard from the third position, are a proof that Aleix likes this track and that he can confirm the good results achieved here in the past. Mika, instead, has started more calmly, studying the situation on the runway and identifying the best setting with its engineers for the tomorrow qualifying.


Marco Rigamonti - Aleix Espargar? Track Engineer

"Aleix continues to confirm his good period, this seventh position give us good hopes for the Saturday's race. Even outside the track we saw that Aleix was ready and determined to have a good performance. Tomorrow, with these track conditions, we can make good qualifications. There remains only a small change to try: Aleix feels the bike too heavy when he changes direction quickly. With a little modification we will try to improve the perfect set up for the bike so that we can be even faster."

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing Team - 7th fastest lap time in 1'35.927

"This bike is wonderful! It 's my favorite track and I think that anyone can see how much I enjoy the track. Despite the many changes in the last years it remains very attractive, you need a lot of aggressiveness and then you can be very fast. The lap times are not very important today, tomorrow everyone will forget what I have done today, but being in the seventh potion it is definitely a good first step. Tonight we will analyze the data with my engineers to understand where and how to further improve tomorrow. I have some problems in the fast changes of trajectory, but I'm very confident for tomorrow."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 14th fastest lap time in 1'37.261

"I like this track, but unfortunately the times are not yet good and tomorrow we will work hard to improve our results. We need to focus much on the rear of the bike; I had grip problems that did not allow me to reduce the gap I have from the other riders. We have identified some changes that we have to do on the bike to improve the grip and I think our lap times will drop significantly. Two seconds of gap from the first rider on this track it is really too much!"

 

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Confident start for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 at Assen

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team made a flying start to the 80th staging of the legendary Dutch TT at Assen today.

In unusually warm temperatures that peaked at 27 degrees, Colin Edwards made a welcome return to form at the iconic Assen circuit.

The experienced American took to the track this afternoon using a new front-end geometry setting on his YZR-M1 machine and he immediately felt much more confident and able to show his true potential after a tough start to 2010.



Capitalising brilliantly on the improved turning performance as a result of the front-end setting modification, Edwards finished fourth and was just 0.013s away from the top three.

He easily finished leading non-factory rider with a best time of 1.35.699 as he looks to extend his impressive record of scoring points in every race so far this season.

Ben Spies also produced an encouraging display this afternoon, the reigning World Superbike champion determined to build on the momentum gained from his outstanding maiden MotoGP podium at Silverstone last weekend.

The Texan was able to reel off a series of consistent laps and in the final ten minutes he stormed into the top four. A best lap of 1.35.942 saw Spies finish eighth but he was just 0.020s away from the top six.

The hot conditions saw track temperatures soar to 44 degrees and Spies spent the session exclusively on the hard compound Bridgestone rear tyre option to gain crucial information ahead of Saturday?s 26-lap race.

He will make minor set-up tweaks overnight to improve turning performance on his YZR-M1 and he is confident of claiming his first top six grid position in tomorrow?s qualifying session.

Colin Edwards 4th 1.35.699 ? 25-laps

?I really needed that after a tough start to the season and thanks to my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 who have been working really hard to improve my situation. I really like Assen and the change they made on the back section made it feel a little bit more like the old circuit. My bike is quite a bit different to what it has been this season and I?m running a front geometry setting that is a lot different to what I?ve ever run before. I?m just trying to make the bike turn easier and feel a little more natural and it is similar to the setting that Valentino and Jorge like. I?ve got a lot more confidence than Silverstone because that was not a positive weekend at all. This track is a lot more free flowing and you have to keep a lot of momentum and that suits my style. And I can just get the bike to turn better and that?s where I?ve been lacking. Now the bike feels great and I?m looking forward to a good weekend.?

Ben Spies 8th 1.35.942 ? 29-laps

?It was a decent session though we definitely need to make a couple of changes to the bike to make it a bit better in the longer turns. I had quite a good set-up at Silverstone to make the bike more nimble and we started with that setting here. But it wasn?t working that well so we?ll go back to what we know works tomorrow and I?m confident it should be better. I worked a lot on the hard race tyre and I?m definitely happy with the performance and the balance of the bike. I just need to make the bike turn better when I?m on the throttle. I?m really happy with corner entry but I?m losing a lot on the longer turns. The target tomorrow will be to get on the second row and I?ve not managed that yet. But the times are so close that with a couple of improvements to the bike I?m sure that a top six is a realistic target. Looking at my last eight laps I?m not far off at all and I?m looking forward to another positive weekend.?

 

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LORENZO IN POLE POSITION FOR ASSEN ASSAULT

Another superb qualifying session from Jorge Lorenzo today means that the Fiat Yamaha Team rider will launch his Assen assault from pole position tomorrow, as he bids to take his first premier-class win in Holland. An inch-perfect final lap from the Mallorcan saw him qualify 0.282 seconds ahead of Randy de Puniet, with Casey Stoner filling the final front-row spot and Yamaha Tech 3 rider Ben Spies taking fourth, his best MotoGP qualifying position to date.

Lorenzo was the only rider to dip into the 1'34s this morning and was the first to do so again this afternoon as he set about refining the set-up of his M1 around the elegant twists and turns of the historic track. He surrendered the top spot to de Puniet for a short while but with ten minutes to go he moved back into pole position and remained in command to the end, extending his lead with a brilliant final lap to secure his second pole of the season for the 80th Dutch TT tomorrow.




Jorge Lorenzo Position: 1st Time: 1'34.515 Laps: 31



"I'm very happy to take my second pole of the season but I feel even more comfortable and confident because I've been first in all three practice sessions, despite the other riders pushing hard during qualifying. I think tomorrow's race could be interesting and of course I want to try to win, but as always the main goal is to finish and take points. I will try to escape but if I can't I will fight for the podium. We can afford to be very calm because of our lead in the standings but the team and I are still working as hard as we can to keep going at this level; we're not relaxing."




Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager



"Once again it's been a very smooth weekend for us so far and we're happy to get another pole position. Jorge is satisfied with the improvements we've made to the bike since yesterday and he was a few tenths faster today, plus he's been extremely consistent in his pace so we can see everything is working well. The only thing left for us to do is to make our final tyre choice for the race, because both Bridgestone compounds are working well here. We will wait to see the temperature tomorrow, make some checks in warm-up and then decide."




Qualifying Times



FRONT ROW

1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'34.515
2. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'34.797
3. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'34.803
SECOND ROW

4. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'34.926
5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'34.999
6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 1'35.015

THIRD ROW

7. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team1'35.162
8. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'35.283
9. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'35.393

FOURTH ROW

10. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 1'35.593
11. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'35.664
12. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'36.344

FIFTH ROW

13. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 1'36.502
14. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 1'36.569
15. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Interwetten Honda MotoGP 1'38.198

 

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Career best qualifying for Ben Spies at sunny Assen

Ben Spies powered his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine to a career best qualifying result in Assen today after another dazzling display from the Texan.

Brimming with confidence after recording his first MotoGP podium at Silverstone last weekend, Spies set himself up perfectly for another rostrum challenge in the historic Dutch TT after qualifying on the second row for the second time in his premier class career.



Aided by improved turning performance with his YZR-M1 machine after key front-end changes by his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew, Spies posted a best time of 1.34.926 with just over a minute of qualifying remaining to claim a brilliant fourth place on the grid.

The 25-year-old, who has demonstrated a fast and consistent pace on both soft and hard compound Bridgestone tyre options, was just 0.123s away from Casey Stoner in third position and just over 0.4s away from pole position.

Spies will now carefully analyse data and consult with Bridgestone and his Tech 3 crew before deciding on whether to race the hard or soft rear tyre in tomorrow?s race, which is the 80th running of the legendary Dutch TT.

Texan team-mate Colin Edwards will start from ninth on the grid after he concentrated on adapting to a new front-end geometry setting. Edwards made further adjustments to the front-end of his YZR-M1 machine today after an encouraging fourth place in practice yesterday.

The experienced American declared himself happy with progress and finished with a best time of 1.35.393 in warm but cooler conditions than yesterday.

Tomorrow?s 26-lap race is round six of the 2010 MotoGP world championship.

Ben Spies 4th 1.34.926 ? 21 laps

"It's my best qualifying session and I'm really happy. I wanted to get on the second row but I was a little bit worried that I would be at the back of it and for the first corner here I wanted to be in a better position. I wasn't sure how much I would get out of the soft tyre, but as soon as we bolted it on I was faster. We've got good pace so we'll look at the weather conditions and comments but I think both tyres will work. I?ve got good pace on the hard and soft tyre so we just need to see what Bridgestone's opinion is. The soft tyre will be quicker in the beginning so we'll see but it will be a tough call. Judging by where I qualified another podium is a realistic target. Obviously Jorge is a way ahead of me at the front but the fight between third to sixth is pretty close. I'm in that fight and that could land me on the podium. But it could easily be a dogfight and I could end up sixth or seventh. Going into the race though I'm closer than I was with the lap times than Silverstone, so anything is possible."

Colin Edwards 9th 1.35.393 ? 32 laps

?We had both bikes set-up quite a bit differently with the front-end geometry and one I didn?t like that much. But the other bike felt better and I was able to push harder. It?s even closer to the front-end geometry that Jorge uses than I tried yesterday and it makes it feel like I?m not chasing the front and I can put the front tyre right where I want it. The set-up is still not perfect and I think the front fork spring is a little bit too hard but we?ll play with that tonight. To be back down in ninth shows how tough it is in MotoGP this year because I was really riding hard and the bike felt good. I certainly feel like we?re in better shape than we have been at some other races so I need to get a good start. I?ve pretty much decided to go with the softer tyre. I did a mid-35 on the 20th lap of the soft tyre so I?m going to go with that. The harder tyre doesn?t have the side grip that I want to make the lap time?

 

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FOURTH LINE FOR ESPARGARO' IN ASSEN. THIRTEEN POSITION FOR KALLIO.

A positive weekend so far until now for Aleix Espargar?, although today, during the qualification test for the grid of the Dutch Grand Prix, he had the tenth time after that he was seventh yesterday and eighth this morning. Unfortunately there wasn't a good final lap to gain an important position. Aleix has, in fact, recorded his best time today shortly after the middle of the afternoon session and he wasn't able to use the last two outgo. Mika Kallio was able to improve by almost half a second his best time recorded in the first free practice, but not enough to climb the ranking. The Finn will start the race from the thirteenth position. Tomorrow morning, during the twenty minute of warm up, there will be more changes to find a better setting for the race that will start at 2pm local time.


Marco Rigamonti - Aleix Espargar? Track Engineer

"Despite the tenth position, we further lowered the lap times achieved in the second free practice this morning. We have another jolly that will try tomorrow morning during the warm up. Aleix is doing very good on this circuit and if he will start good in the first sector of the circuit joining the leading group, he will be able to make a very good race. We'll work hard tonight on the data we have obtained today so that we can help our rider to be one of the leader in the tomorrow race."

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing Team - 10th best time in 1'35 .593

'Pity for the final position. After the excellent practice results of yesterday and of this morning I thought of being able to gain a better position. I'm happy to have been constantly in the top ten. From these qualifications I have understand that I have a good race pace that I can use during tomorrow's race. I like a lot this track, I hope to get a good result. "

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 13th best time in 1'36 .502

"Since yesterday I wasn't able to find the right feeling with my bike on this circuit. I reduce by almost a second the time I had yesterday during the opening practice, but it wasn't enough to gain positions. During the qualifying my technicians have worked hard to modify my bike and make it as balanced as possible for this circuit. Tonight they will do other changes that we will try in the warm up. I am not satisfied for the last races results, tomorrow will be the time for a change."

 

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Rizla Suzuki in better shape for tomorrow?s Dutch TT

Rizla Suzuki racers Loris Capirossi and ?lvaro Bautista will start side-by-side on the fourth row of the grid for tomorrow?s Dutch TT at Assen in the Netherlands.

Bautista (1?36.344, 28 laps) produced his best qualifying performance of the season to put his bike next to Capirossi on the fourth row in 12th place. Despite still struggling with his shoulder injury ? that has manifested itself to a greater extent than at Silverstone ? he continued to make improvements to his lap-times before setting his best time on his penultimate lap of the day. Bautista is in a confident mood for tomorrow?s 26-lap race as he goes in search of his best finish in a MotoGP race to match today?s qualifying.

Capirossi (P11, 1?35.664, 29 laps) made progressive steps with his Suzuki GSV-R today, but the Italian is still looking for the optimum setting for his machine that will enable him to get the best out of himself and the bike here at Assen. He is still sure that he can run in a higher position and will be out to prove that when tomorrow?s race gets underway.

Today?s qualifying was held in warm and sunny conditions with track temperatures reaching 42?C. Jorge Lorenzo on his factory Yamaha took his second successive pole position of the season.

Tomorrow?s race is the only event on the Grand Prix calendar to be held on a Saturday and proceedings will commence at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) for the 80th running of the historic Dutch TT.

?lvaro Bautista:

?This morning I had some problems with my left arm and I felt quite a lot of pain. I think it is because this track is very physical and requires a lot more work with my arm. For this afternoon I took some pain-killers, but it was still very uncomfortable so I tried to take things a bit easier, so I could save myself for the race tomorrow. We resolved some of the problems we had from yesterday and made some improvements, but we are still not quite there. I still have some problems changing direction as I feel that the bike is very heavy because I don?t have the strength in my arm. We still have some small things to try in warm-up to make some small steps to make things better. I want to start well and stay with a good group and be able to push more as the race goes on. I hope the pain doesn?t get any worse during the race and I can enjoy it. I am confident that I can make a good result, but the main thing is to enjoy riding the bike.?

Loris Capirossi:

?I don?t really know what to say today! We did change the bike a bit to alter the way the weight transfers and this gave us a bit of traction back, but still we are not competitive enough. It seems if we improve the rear we are losing out on the front. We just cannot find the best solution and all the guys are working so hard to make things better. We improved the electronics this afternoon and I am happy that we have made a step there. We hope that we can make a small step in the morning because we don?t want to start making big changes to the bike now. We?re still confident we can run higher than the qualifying position and we?ll just have to see what tomorrow brings.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?There is no great satisfaction to be taken from the result today, but after the Silverstone weekend at least we can say that we have made a start to rebuilding the season. Loris is only 0.9 seconds off the front row and while that gap is too big, it?s a lot smaller than it was a week ago. Unfortunately ?lvaro is struggling more with his injury than he was last week and despite showing good potential in some parts of the track, he is struggling in the important fast changes of direction ? both with the bike setting and his injury ? so the team will be working hard tonight to make it easier for the race tomorrow. Our target for tomorrow is not too far-fetched - we?d like to see both riders finish the Grand Prix, score some points and take a better platform on to Catalunya next weekend.?

Tim TT Assen Qualifying Practice Classification:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1?34.515: 2. Randy de Puniet (Honda) +0.282: 3. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.288: 4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +0.411: 5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.484: 11. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.149: 12. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.829:

 

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INTERWETTEN HONDA MotoGP TEAM - Akiyoshi testing Honda in Assen

The Honda test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi, who is replacing Hiroshi Aoyama in Assen after Aoyama injured himself during a crash at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, did use the two practice days at Assen for a heavy testing program with the Honda RC212V. The 35 years old Japanese rode the MotoGP Honda of today for the first time in yesterday's free practice and is impressed by its power. Akiyoshi feels comfortable in the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team and tries to transfer his knowledge as a test rider into the premier class of Motorcycle racing, which is a bit difficult, so he says.

Kousuke Akiyoshi, 15 - 1'38.198:
"I try to help the team as much as possible. For me it is difficult to set up all the different settings of the bike. But I have fun and this experience is very interesting. I improved by 2 seconds since yesterday, 1 second since this morning's practice. I will try to keep improving also during tomorrow's race and I look forward to this challenge."

Daniel M. Epp, Team Manager:
"It went better than I expected. The gap to Barbera is only 1.6 seconds. We are quite satisfied with the qualifying time. You can clearly see the difference between MotoGP riders and the rest of the world, but Kousuke does not have to hide himself with the performance he showed."

 

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STONER AND HAYDEN ON FRONT TWO ROWS FOR DUTCH TT

Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden qualified on the first and second rows of the grid respectively for tomorrow?s Dutch TT, setting the third and fifth fastest times of a busy and incident-packed day for both riders.

Stoner, who was second fastest in a positive final free practice this morning, encountered a small issue in the final minutes of qualifying. The Australian had already banked one fast qualifying lap when he heard a loud noise from his GP10 and decided to return to the garage, where his engineers were able to later confirm that it was merely an inconsequential misfire from the engine.

Nicky Hayden had a tough morning session, a technical problem with his second bike being followed immediately by a crash on a flying lap. However, in qualifying he was just half a second shy of the pace set by polesetter Jorge Lorenzo and one of only five riders able to lap under the 1?35 mark.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 3rd (1?34.803)
?The last set-up we threw in the bike seemed to make quite an improvement. This morning we were pretty happy with it but this afternoon we never really reached where we wanted to. We had a small problem with the clutch ? we had some air in the hydraulics and it wasn?t working properly so I had to use the full pump of the clutch just to shift back through the gears. A thing I think we can fix anyway. I got one qualifying lap in and went to start my second but the bike sounded like it backfired and so I decided to call it quits ? it was better to be safe than sorry and to start the race tomorrow fresh. We?ll have to wait and see what happens in the race but if we will be able to make some more little steps in the tomorrow's warm-up we may be not too far off.?

NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) 5th (1?34.999)
?We can?t be too disappointed with fifth place and a second row start after the session we had today. This morning I had an engine problem in one bike and when I switched to the other one I crashed it. I wasn?t hurt at all but the bike needed to be rebuilt. The whole team did an incredible job in just a couple of hours - even Casey?s guys gave us a hand. They didn?t even have time for lunch but when I came into the garage for qualifying there were two bikes there waiting for me. I couldn?t get my feeling immediately and the start of the session was tough, but when we got the final tyre in I got my head down under that screen and gave it everything I had. I went from the 1?36s to a 1?34.9 in just one lap but we have more work to do before the race tomorrow.?

Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha - 2010), 1?34.515 - 173.001 Km/h

 

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Randy De Puniet on front row for second race in succession

Honda privateer Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) continued his impressive qualifying form by taking the second spot on the front row for the second race in succession.

Today?s success came during the one hour qualifying session for Saturday?s 80th Dutch TT, held under warm, sunny skies at the circuit known for its inclement weather. De Puniet held the fastest time well into the hour before eventually being displaced by championship leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). Lorenzo would have to be at his best to beat De Puniet?s time of 1m, 34.797s, and he was. But, other than Lorenzo, whose fastest lap was his last, no one could match de Puniet?s pace. And de Puniet proved his race pace was strong by starting his final run with two laps in the 1m, 34?s.

Because the track had been slightly shortened, Lorenzo?s final lap of 1m, 34.515s would stand as a new circuit fastest lap. The lap was over a full second faster than the previous circuit best lap of 1m, 35.520s set by Casey Stoner in 2008. The new length of 4.542k was achieved by taking 13 meters out at the Ruskenhoek left hander near the end of the track?s longest (560m) straightaway. Though it?s a minor modification, the adjustment transformed the track and brought back some of the speed it had lost in recent modifications.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) finished the session at the end of the second row. The Italian spent much of the hour in the top three by setting his fastest time on the 11th of his 30 total laps. But he wasn?t able to improve on his lap of 1m, 35.105s and found himself slowly slipping down the order. Still, starting from the second row puts him in perfect position to protect his second place in the MotoGP World Championship.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) sits third in the championship, only five points behind his team-mate, and certain to further secure the position. Pedrosa finished the session just behind Dovizioso with the seventh fastest time at a gap of .147s. Pedrosa said he needed to improve his braking performance and also had to choose between the two Bridgestone rear tire options.

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) had a career best MotoGP qualifying effort. The MotoGP rookie finished the session with the eighth fastest time, right behind the veteran Pedrosa. The qualifying performance left Simoncelli confident that he could also achieve a career best MotoGP race finish.

Simoncelli will likely be the lone flag-bearer for the Gresini Honda team after team-mate Marco Melandri dislocated his left shoulder in a Friday morning high-side. Melandri, who didn?t take part in qualifying, said he would test the shoulder in Saturday morning warm-up, but wasn?t hopeful of racing. He expects to be ready for next week?s race in Barcelona.

Kousuke Akiyoshi (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) qualified 15th in place of the injured Hiroshi Aoyama, the winner of the 250cc race here last year. The 35-year-old Japanese test rider will replace Aoyama at Assen and next week in Catalunya. Aoyama broke his back at the previous week?s British Grand Prix at Silverstone and is expected to be out for a few months. A more permanent replacement is expected during the one week break between Catalunya and the German round at the Sachsenring.

The races in Assen are traditionally held on Saturday, a custom that is unique to the Dutch TT.


HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Randy de Puniet, LCR Honda RC212V: 2nd ? 1m 34.797s
?Everything is going in the right direction for us and we completely deserved this second consecutive front row. I am still the Honda fastest rider and the top privateer rider in the classification, so this is not just luck! The guys made an excellent job on the bike and I felt more comfortable in this morning second session. Then in the afternoon we took another step forward working on suspension set-up and the bike was close to perfection. We have got the pace to run in top five on race tyres, but we need to confirm our mapping for the end of the race when the tyres will drop. Want to thank everybody in the team for their great job.?

Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda RC212V: 6th ? 1m 35.015s
?Tomorrow we will start from the second row which is OK, and with a good start I hope to get away with the leaders. The gap to the front of five-tenths of a second is not too much and we also have a good race pace, although actually I set this lap when I was following (Jorge) Lorenzo. We have some front end issues that we need to solve and this is what we want to sort out by tomorrow afternoon - otherwise it will be a difficult race. In fact, I?m losing time in T3 and T4, which are the fastest parts of the track, so front end feel is really important here. However, I?m feeling confident and I think that me and the team can come up with some ideas to improve things for tomorrow.?

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda RC212V: 7th ? 1m 35.162s
?This morning we started with some adjustments to the suspension and we went a little harder at the front end. My fastest lap time was OK this morning, but, to be honest, we didn?t find the solutions we were looking for and we still have some work to do to find the right set-up. In T1, where we were losing a lot of time yesterday, things have improved a little bit, but clearly not enough - and we also have to improve the feeling when I brake, because at the moment I can?t push to the maximum. It?s a similar situation on the soft or the hard option Bridgestones, so that choice isn?t made yet for us. We?ll keep on working this evening and try to make some significant improvements for the race tomorrow.?

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V: 8th ? 1m 35.283s
?That?s not bad. I?m happy because we had a few doubts about the bike today, but it worked well. We have found the right solution to establish a better feeling and I can ride with more ease. My times were good when I was lapping on my own and I managed to put a good rhythm together. Overall I am happy and confident I can have another good race tomorrow. If I can get a good start then there?s no reason I can?t be fighting for a top five finish.?

Kousuke Akioshi (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V: 15th ? 1m 38.198s
?I try to help the team as much as possible. For me it is difficult to set up all the different settings of the bike. But I have fun and this experience is very interesting. I improved by two seconds since yesterday, one second since this morning's practice. I will try to keep improving also during tomorrow's race and I look forward to this challenge.?

Marco Melandri, San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V: DNQ
?Today was a day to forget. It started well, because the feeling with the bike was really good and I was able to put a fast time in on a tyre with a lot of laps on it, so I was happy. Unfortunately, it wasn?t to be and now I have to look ahead to hopefully having a good race at Barcelona. I went wide coming into the turn at the back of the pits and tried to get onto the tarmac path back onto the track, but I couldn?t get on it and as I headed back towards the track I was worried I might hit another rider, so I tried to change my line. Unfortunately, I lost the rear on the grass and when I got back onto the tarmac it gripped and threw me into the air. I knew straight away that my shoulder was out.?

Pole position : 1m34.515s (173.001Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha
Circuit Best Lap : 1m34.515s (173.001Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha, 2010)
Qualifying position
1 Jorge Lorenzo 1m34.515s SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 Randy De Puniet +0.282s FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
3 Casey Stoner +0.288s AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
4 Ben Spies +0.411s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
5 Nicky Hayden +0.484s USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
6 Andrea Dovizioso +0.500s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
7 Dani Pedrosa +0.647s SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
8 Marco Simoncelli +0.768s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
9 Colin Edwards +0.878s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
10 Aleix Espargaro +1.078s SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
11 Loris Capirossi +1.149s ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
12 Alvaro Bautista +1.829s SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
13 Mika Kallio +1.987s FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
14 Hector Barbera +2.054s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
15 Kousuke Akiyoshi +3.683s JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
16 Marco Melandri DNQ ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
Championship standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo 115 pts SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 Andrea Dovizioso 78 pts ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Dani Pedrosa 73 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Valentino Rossi 61 pts ITA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
5 Nicky Hayden 52 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
6 Randy De Puniet 46 pts FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
7 Ben Spies 36 pts USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
8 Casey Stoner 35 pts AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
9 Marco Simoncelli 32 pts ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
10 Marco Melandri 32 pts ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
11 Colin Edwards 26 pts USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
12 Hector Barbera 24 pts SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
13 Aleix Espargaro 22 pts SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
14 Hiroshi Aoyama 18 pts JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
15 Mika Kallio 15 pts FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
16 Loris Capirossi 13 pts ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
17 Alvaro Bautista 12 pts SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

 

[KUCIAR666]

INTERWETTEN HONDA MotoGP TEAM - Team did a great job in Assen

The TT Assen brought one point in the championship for the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team, as Kousuke Akiyoshi, the replacement rider for the injured Hiroshi Aoyama in Assen and Barcelona, finished the race on 15th position.

After Akiyoshi had a heavy crash in this morning's Warm up, the Honda RC212V was completely destroyed and the mechanics of the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team did a fantastic job putting all the pieces together and fix the bike just in time for the start of the race. Akiyoshi then was starting the race with exactly the same bike and it was fully operating.

Akiyoshi will also race in Barcelona for the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team and he will replace Aoyama once more for the Spanish Grand Prix in Catalunya. Together with the 35 years old Akiyoshi a second test rider will take part in the race as Rossi will be replaces by the Yamaha test rider on his Yamaha M1.

Kousuke Akiyoshi, 15 - 41'42.019:
"First of all I have to say that I wish all the best to Hiro and I hope he will come back soon. In general this was a good weekend for me. I am here as a replacement and to test the bike and to help the team. The last time I was part of a race of the world championship was more than a year ago and once again I really enjoyed this experience. I am looking forward to the race in Barcelona."

Daniel M. Epp, Team Manager:
"You can see on the result of Kousuke that the level of the MotoGP riders is very high. Kousuke improved step by step during this weekend and he did all he could do. He never has been to this track before. Barcelona he knows. In Barcelona will also be a second test rider as the replacement for Valentino Rossi and I am looking forward to see the battle between the two test riders and I am curious who will win this battle."

 

[KUCIAR666]

Fantastic fourth for Ben Spies at sun-kissed Assen

Ben Spies produced another outstanding ride today in the 80th running of the historic Dutch TT, the Texan thrilling a crowd of nearly 100,000 fans with a stunning fourth place.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Spies made a blistering start from fourth on the grid to take up the tough challenge of fighting with dominant MotoGP world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in the early stages.

Opting to use the softer compound Bridgestone rear tyre, Spies kept Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner at bay with a hard charge in the opening laps before he slipped down to fourth on lap four.



Unable to match the pace of the leading trio despite pushing his YZR-M1 machine to the limit, Spies became locked in a close dice with Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian looked at ease in fourth spot before Spies mounted a brilliant attack on lap 15 from fifth position.

He started the lap over 0.7s adrift of Dovizioso but slashed the deficit to 0.103s at the end of lap 15.

Spies then produced a brilliantly executed overtake on Dovizioso at the final chicane on lap 16 and was able to use his superior speed to pull out a comfortable gap over the Repsol Honda rider.

But Dovizioso wasn't finished and inspired by Randy de Puniet's attack, both began to hunt down Spies as the battle for fourth intensified.

Spies responded with a masterful performance in the final four laps, the 25-year-old holding his nerve with some brilliantly aggressive riding to prevent de Puniet and Dovizioso from getting close to denying him fourth place.

Spies took fourth by nearly two seconds at the conclusion of the 26-lap race to continue the excellent form he displayed when storming to a maiden podium at Silverstone last weekend. It is the second successive race that he has finished leading non-factory rider and he moved firmly into the battle for a top four championship placing.

Fellow American Colin Edwards extended his impressive record of scoring points in all six races so far this season with a solid ride to eighth place.

Edwards continued to adapt to a new front-end geometry set-up he first tried this weekend and gained crucial information that he hopes will help him close the gap to the leading group in future races.

The 21-points collected by Spies and Edwards today moved the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad into fourth place in the Team World Championship standings, the French squad once again the leading independent squad in the series.

Ben Spies 4th 49-points

?I got a good start and was happy with that. I ran the soft rear tyre because it made the front load better for turning and the track temperature was hotter than all weekend. But it didn't work as well I'd hoped in the first ten laps and then when Dani and Casey came by I knew I was holding them up. But I was sticking with my game plan. I tried as hard as I could and 12 laps in Andrea passed me. But then his tyres dropped down to where I was with mine and I reeled him back in. The podium battle had gone away and then over the last three laps I heard Andrea and Randy putting the pressure on. I put my head down hard and managed to open a gap. I was sliding a lot but I managed to stretch away and I could cruise the last lap. I wanted at least fourth place today and I'm happy but I didn't have the pace for the podium like in Silverstone. I'm happy with the result and we go to Catalunya next week not knowing the track and I think we will be a little bit on the back foot again. But I'll do the same as the past two weeks and push as hard as I can."

Colin Edwards 8th 34-points

?I can't be disappointed or upset with eighth place and wonder why I didn't get a better result when I rode my heart out. There was nothing else I could have done today but I know what we can improve. We've been experimenting with some different front-end settings and we've made it better, but I just lose a bit of time when I release the brakes and can't turn the bike how I want. And losing that little bit everywhere adds up by the end of the lap and makes it difficult. I know I rode harder than last year when I finished fourth, but I'm eighth. I guess that proves that those guys at the front are running an unbelievable pace. I was behind Nicky for a long time but I could never get close enough to put a pass on him. Looking at Ben it can be better and once again, I can't praise him enough. He's riding really good and I have to congratulate him because at the last two races he's been really impressive.?

Herve Poncharal ? Team Manager

?I can't say enough good things about Ben. He made an incredible start and he almost took the lead. We knew Casey and Dani would push hard and in the first few laps I don't think Ben had a great feeling with the bike. But he dug deep and continued to push and I have to give him enormous credit for that. Dovizioso and de Puniet were pushing really hard at the end but Ben's strength is his pace on used tyres and he demonstrated this again. Being greedy we'd have liked to be on the podium again but fourth showed he is the best of the rest of the moment. His confidence is really high and he's proving a massive asset for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Colin had a strong race and after Silverstone he found a direction with the bike, which we hope will work in the future. He was pushing hard and never gave up and the points he scored have helped us move back into fourth place in the Team Championship. That is very important for us. I said that in 2010 the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team had its strongest line-up ever in MotoGP and I think today again we proved that.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

GOOD RESULT FOR THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM RIDERS: TENTH POSITION FOR ESPARGARO', ELEVENTH FOR KALLIO.

Good test for the Pramac Racing Team riders today on Assen circuit. Aleix Espargar? has completed the race in the tenth position, obtaining the fourth position among the top ten in the last four races. Despite the bad start that saw him lose several positions, he immediately retrieved the riders ahead of him. After passing Kallio in the third lap, he start to recover the gap he had from Simoncelli, that was nearly three seconds ahead. A good race pace has given him the opportunity to reduce the disadvantage by Italian rider and overtake him in the fourteenth lap. Just after he had pass Simoncelli, Aleix tried to detach and recover Edwards in the eighth position. But because the gap he had from the American was almost five seconds, and because Simoncelli was always close to him, Aleix thought to be overtake by the Italian rider and study his trajectory in order to identify the point where he can try the final overtake. Despite the very small gap on the last lap, he was unable to move back ahead and to win the ninth position. Good performance for Mika Kallio that thanks to a good start, had won the eleventh position. The Finn has battled for almost all the race with Capirossi and Barber? to win the eleventh position. Over the last five laps it was first passed by Loris Capirossi and then intensely struggled with Barber?. A great last corner start, allowed him to keep the Spaniard back and finish the race in the eleventh position. A positive weekend for riders who have always given their best to obtain an important result of this historic Dutch circuit.


Fabiano Sterlacchini - Pramac Racing Team Technical Director

"Assen result do not fully repay the work we have done during this weekend, we knew that we could go very fast on this track and get an important result with both riders, in any case is a positive result. We finished the race with both riders and we have seen the steady growth of both. Mika had struggled to get the eleventh position, he has a great start, he was in tenth position after the first lap. He subsequently lost a few positions, but in the last turns he headed the group that was struggling for eleventh and in the last round he had won the position against Barber?. It 's a good result that gives good hopes for his complete recover on the Barcelona track where he will race next weekend. Good race for Aleix who proved once more to improve his feeling with his bike and this category. The hope is that he can get a good result in his home track next week. "

Aleix Espargar? - Pilot Pramac Racing - 10th in the race - 12th in World Championship

"The result does not prove the full value I could give on this track. Unfortunately the bad start had made me lost immediately the contact from the first riders, I had to fight to regain the positions I have lost. After I had pass some riders I have had a good race pace that allowed me to recover the gap I had from Simoncelli. In eight laps I managed reduce the three seconds gap I had from him and pass him. I pushed as hard to try to detach him but I risk the falling into a couple of strokes. At seven laps I made him pass me. I studied the places where I could try to overcome him, but the last lap I could not be so close to beat him. I'm also happy to had a so reduced gap from the Grand Prix winner, this is the minimum gap I had in this season. In the next week we'll race in Barcelona, my home Grand Prix. I will do my best to obtain a good result for my team and my fans. "

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 11th in the race - 14th in the World Championship

"I'm very happy for the excellent start I had that allowed me to gain three positions after the first lap. Unfortunately my race pace has not allowed me to stay with the best riders, my bike was not very quick in some fast points of the track. I fought with Capirossi and Barber? for the eleventh position. In the last five laps I was able to drive the group to the end and I win the battle with Barber? that he could not pass me in the last corner. I hope to get a better result next week on the Spanish circuit. "

 

[KUCIAR666]

STONER BACK ON PODIUM IN HOLLAND, HAYDEN SEVENTH

Casey Stoner picked up his first podium of the season today after a tough race run at a very fast pace that only three riders - eventual race winner Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and the Ducati Marlboro Team man - were able to maintain until the end.

Nicky Hayden got away well from the second row but got blocked by traffic into turn one and lost several positions. He managed to pass Colin Edwards and Marco Simoncelli within a handful of laps but had lost contact with the front group and was unable to reproduce his pace from practice.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 3?
?This is the first race this season we have come away from with a decent result. It shouldn't be our first podium of the year but that's the way it is and it was nice to finish a race, not just a qualifying session, and head to parc ferme. The team has been doing a fantastic job, especially over the last two weekends, when we have established a good base setting that has allowed us to fight for the podium, if not the win yet. Unfortunately at Silverstone we had the start we had but here it was me that struggled more than the bike with arm-pump from about mid distance - it was the same problem as Silverstone and I guess we didn't have time to recover. It is another setback we have to deal with now but I think we can get over it. Anyway all in all it was a positive day and I want to thank the team for the work they have done?.

NICKY HAYDEN ? (Ducati Marlboro Team) 7th
?Seventh place isn't exactly the best but as always I'm trying to look at the positives: after making a good start on Thursday we had a difficult session on Friday morning with a breakdown and a crash, when we also wrecked a set of tyres, and that obviously made things hard for us. Whilst the rest made progress with their set-up we lost ground. I got a decent start but got held up by De Puniet and was passed by a lot of riders. I managed to pass Colin and Simoncelli but lost time and even though I tried to close the gap the front end tucked a couple of times and I had to settle for seventh. It's a shame because it's our worst result of the year apart from the crash at Mugello but we go racing again next week and we'll be trying to get back to the front.?

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
"We deserved this podium, we haven?t had one for a bit and we?re happy that it?s arrived today. The team worked very well, they found a good set-up for the race and fixed the problem with the clutch that penalized Casey a week ago. Casey rode very well, he made eight laps in the 34s, and I think that if he hadn?t had the problem with his arm he would have been able to attack Dani. In any case he did a great race. Nicky lost time in the first corner and lost contact with the leading group and he wasn?t able to catch them back up. The problems he had in practice didn?t help him to find a set-up that he could trust but I am sure that he will be back in front at the next race."