After the definitive qualification session held today at the circuit of Assen, and with only the warm-up left tomorrow morning, everything is ready for the start of the Dutch GP, with the Repsol riders on the third and fifth rows of the grid. Marc Márquez and Esteve Rabat, 10th and 12th respectively, were just a little over seven tenths off the pole time set by Sandro Cortese. Redding and Beaubier, will be two rows further back, in 17th and 20th position, respectively.
The 4 555 metres of the actual circuit of Assen was a bit too small for the 35 bikes out on the track during practice, as could be seen from the large amount of traffic throughout the whole session. Some riders were harmed by the excessive traffic, the case of Marc Márquez and Esteve Rabat, who after refining the set up on their motorbikes could not improve as much as they had hoped owing to several slow riders that they came across towards the end of the practice.
Things were more difficult for Scott Redding, who never managed to feel comfortable on the legendary Dutch track. The Repsol rider had quite a few problems getting the suspension set up right on his Aprilia, and he had to change the clutch halfway through the session. When he was able to get back out he had the same problems as Márquez and Rabat: many bikes stopped in the middle of the track waiting for a good reference to follow, and in the end he was not able to improve his best time set on the fifth of the 18 laps he did today.
Turning to Cameron Beaubier, the American rider gradually got faster during free practice, 16th. But when qualification started, although he was very quickly close to the times he set in the morning, was not able to improve. Halfway through the session he put new tyres on, but once out on the track did not feel so comfortable, so this afternoon he will be with his team working out what happened and why so that he can regain his good sensations.
Marc Márquez, 1’46.164 secs, 35 laps, 159 km. >> Audio
“It`s turning out to be a complicated weekend. We have the set up for the race, but perhaps I just have to make that little bit more effort. I think that we can improve some things for tomorrow, let`s see if we can squeeze a little more out of the engine. I know that I can be up with the leaders and that I have not been very lucky in practice. I will try to get off to a good start and keep up with the leading group. Perhaps I have to pick up a faster pace, but I have confidence in KTM with all the work they are doing, and I am sure that with a little touch to some things and trying it out in the warm-up, we will be ready to ride with the leading group in the race.”
Esteve Rabat, 1’46.214 secs, 36 laps, 164 km. >> Audio
“Today`s practice went well, and we have found a good pace for the race. As for the suspension set up, I am pleased because I can ride comfortably and I am going well. The engine also worked well and I think the tyres that we tried will last the whole race. I will have to get off to a good start and be agile on the first few laps, overtaking a few rivals, then stay up with the leading group and reach the last lap alongside the fastest riders.”
Scott Redding, 1’47.087 secs, 34 laps, 155 km. >> Audio
“Today went better than yesterday. Qualification went well right at the start, but then things went a bit sour. The clutch broke and I had to stop in the pits again. And at the end, for two or three laps, there was a lot of traffic, and it was impossible to get past. We have made a lot of changes since yesterday, but it is still turning out to be quite difficult.”
Cameron Beaubier, 1’47.728 secs, 34 laps, 155 km. >> Audio
“Free practice went well, but around halfway through qualification we tried some new tyres and they did not work as well as we expected. I do not know if they were defective or not correctly set, because I got nowhere near the times I had been setting earlier on. The steering closed a lot and I was always fighting to control the bike.”
