Moto3 Assen: Final dash hands Martin pole for Dutch GP
Jorge Martin put his practice crash behind him as he landed at the top of the timesheets after a final stunning lap in qualifying for the Moto3 Dutch Grand Prix in Assen.
Round eight got off to a worrying start for the Del Conca Gresini rider, who picked up an injury to his leg in practice on Friday, but despite having had little sleep and needing painkillers to get him on track the Honda man still managed to pull out an impressive lap of 1m 42.039s as he met the chequered flag.
It is the Spaniard’s fifth pole this season and his fourteenth overall, giving Martin the record for most poles achieved in Moto3.
Enea Bastianini went from pole to winner in Catalunya but could not hold on to the top spot on the grid this time around and was pushed down to second, but just 0.310s slower for Leopard. He came back from a trip through the gravel and grass at turn seven early in the session, where he saved his fall in the sunny but blustery conditions.
Nicolo Bulega returned to the front of the grid for the first time this season, the Sky Racing Team VR46 rider is yet to score a point this year, but has put himself in a great position to rectify that by landing third as the top KTM rider.
Aron Canet leads off row two, surviving a late save which left him unable to set a last fast lap on his way to fourth with Estrella Galicia 0,0.
Lining up next to him is his team-mate Lorenzo Dalla Porta, recording his best qualifying performance so far this season in fifth.
John McPhee’s last hot lap saw him fly up to fifth, before Bulega knocked him back one place to sixth, but still a massive improvement for the British CIP- Green Power rider.
Seventh on the grid went to Fabio Di Giannantonio for Gresini. He is joined on row three by Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi who took eighth after he messed up his best lap with a trip into the gravel after clipping his Redox PruestelGP team-mate Jakub Kornfeil while following him on track.
Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) will sit in ninth on the grid with RBA’s Gabriel Rodrigo completing the top ten.
The battle for top rookie was won by Dennis Foggia in 19th who finished one place ahead of rival Jaume Masia.
There were crashes for Albert Arenas and Kasuki Masaki, Arenas recovered well for 13th, while Masaki only got out in time for one final lap, leaving him 28th.
Stefano Nepa replaces Makar Yurchenko from Assen onwards at CIP Green Power, he placed 29th at the end of the session.
There are Wildcard entries for local rider Ryan Van De Lagemaat (Lamotec Lagemaat Racing- KTM) who starts 30th and Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team - Honda) who fared slightly better in 27th.
Foggia along with Ayumu Sasaki, Kaito Toba and Kornfeil were handed 12 place grid penalties, with Adam Norrodin sent to the back of the grid - all for riding slowly in three or more sectors during the Friday practice sessions.
