Bagnaia delivers knockout blow with new lap record in Assen MotoGP Qualifying

With the threat of rain looming large at the start of Q2, riders wasted no time in heading out of pit lane. 

The first to do so were Aleix Espargaro and Francesco Bagnaia, two of the fastest riders so far this weekend. 

But after the opening lap it was Jorge Martin leading the way as he set a new lap record. 

Needing to find -0.011s to go quicker than Martin, Fabio Quartararo made a mistake at turn one which led to him running through the gravel. 

A costly error, Quartararo then returned to pit lane along with provisional pole sitter Martin. 

Third after the first run, Bagnaia started to really turn the screw with five minutes remaining. 

The factory Ducati rider went two tenths quicker than Martin in just the first sector, an advantage he kept throughout the lap. 

Attempting to fight back and deny Bagnaia, Martin suffered a crash at turn five which ended his hopes of securing pole. 

Making it a double-Ducati crash was Jack Miller as the Australian suffered a fall at turn five. 

After gaining time in sectors three and four, Quartararo put his M1 second on the grid before going for another flyer. 

However, the French rider’s effort of beating Bagnaia to pole was thwarted when he nearly lost the front at turn five.

KTM finds pace in Assen MotoGP Q1, FINALLY!

Q1 got underway in dramatic fashion as Enea Bastianini was slow exiting pit lane. The Italian rider made a quick decision to stop his GP21 machine and head back to his garage on foot. 

After a leisurely jog, Bastianini arrived back at the Gresini garage as frantic work was taking place to get his second bike ready. 

On track, Miguel Oliveira led a factory KTM 1-2, with Joan Mir not far behind in third. 

A specialist in qualifying of late, Fabio Di Giannantonio looked set to challenge the top two before rain began to fall in sector three - the Italian lost three tenths in just a few corners. 

Like his team-mate, Bastianini was very fast in the opening two sectors before losing four tenths in sector three. 

Starting his second run, Mir suffered a slow fall at turn five which left the 2020 MotoGP champion stuck underneath his machine. 

The Spaniard was eventually able to push his GSX-RR away from him and get back underway, although an improvement failed to follow. 

An improvement did come from Brad Binder as the South African bettered Oliveira’s time to go fastest. 

Despite fast times being set in sectors one and two by Bastianini and Mir, sector three was again their undoing as Binder and Oliveira held on to advance.