UPDATE Espargaro penalty: Dutch MotoGP, Assen - Free Practice (2) Results

Free Practice (2) results from the Dutch MotoGP at Assen, round 11 (of 20) in the 2022 world championship.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Mugello
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Mugello

UPDATE: Aleix Espargaro has been stripped of his lap times set at the end of Free Practice 2 after running 'with a rear water spoiler (add-on) whilst using slick tyres on the front and rear'.

This contravenes rule 2.4.4.7.10.e) of the technical regulations, which states that a rear tyre water spoiler (add-on) is only allowed 'in the case that at least one rain tyre is fitted on the motorcycle'.

The session began on wet tyres, but the Aprilia team should have then removed the swingarm water spoiler when changing over to slicks.

Espargaro thus drops from second to last place on the Friday timesheets, meaning he will need to break back into the top ten on Saturday morning to avoid a place in Qualifying 1.

Fortunately for the Spaniard, dry weather is currently forecast for FP3.

Aleix Espargaro, Dutch MotoGP, 24 June
Aleix Espargaro, Dutch MotoGP, 24 June

Meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli will have a long lap penalty for the race after twice riding slowly on the racing line in Friday practice, after having received a verbal warning for the same offence at Sachsenring.

"I'm sorry for a mistake I made in FP2. I went outside the track and accidentally hindered Enea, and I got a long-lap penalty for it," Morbidelli said.

Dutch MotoGP, Assen - Free Practice (2) Results
Pos RiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1^10Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)1'33.274s19/19308k
 ^3Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.178s15/15306k
2^15Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.305s20/20301k
3^4Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.337s14/14304k
4˅4Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.559s18/18307k
5˅4Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.625s21/21303k
6^4Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.664s17/17306k
7^6Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.853s21/21304k
8=Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)+1.012s18/18304k
9^5Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*+1.038s17/17308k
10^15Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)+1.042s15/15307k
11^5Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+1.230s19/19304k
12^12Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+1.262s18/18301k
13˅9Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+1.325s17/17308k
14^7Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)+1.376s17/18301k
15˅9Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.402s16/21303k
16˅7Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)+1.549s17/17304k
17˅2Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.554s18/22302k
18˅15Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+1.560s13/17302k
19˅7Fabio Di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*+1.628s15/18304k
20^2Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+1.807s19/19304k
21^2Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+1.948s19/19300k
22˅2Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*+2.297s15/15303k
23˅5Stefan BradlGERRepsol Honda (RC213V)+2.677s10/10302k
24˅5Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+2.952s17/17299k
25 Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+8.086s8/15306k

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.

 

* Rookie

Official Assen MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 33.617s (2015)
Fastest race lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 32.869s (2021)

Francesco Bagnaia helps put his Sachsenring disaster behind him by leading day one of the Dutch MotoGP at Assen, as improving conditions unleashed much faster lap times in Free Practice 2.

Following a soaking wet morning session, led by Bagnaia's Ducati team-mate Jack Miller with a 1m 42.589s, a dry line quickly began forming in the afternoon.

Miller's FP1 best was soon beaten as a result, with Alex Marquez - hotly linked with a switch to Gresini Ducati next season - leading the field until Franco Morbidelli set the first sub-1m 42s lap of the weekend just before the halfway stage.

The Monster Yamaha rider was also the first to make a complete (front and rear) switch from the soft to medium wet tyres, due to the drying track.

Wet Mandalika race winner Miguel Oliveira then took over at the top for KTM, while Luca Marini became the first rider of the weekend to try slick tyres. The young Italian soon proved they were the most effective choice, at least for the brave, vaulting up the order to first place with 17-minutes to go.

While Marini continued improving with every lap, factory Yamaha riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli were among those to follow his lead, although most were in no hurry to fit dry tyres.

That had changed by the final ten minutes, when a pseudo-qualifying attack saw riders chasing a top ten place in case of worse weather on Saturday morning.

Oliveira, Bagnaia, Quartararo, Marco Bezzecchi, Quartararo again and Aleix Espargaro all rotated through P1 in the closing minutes before Bagnaia had the final word with the best lap of the day.

Morning faller Bezzecchi tumbled again in the closing stages of this afternoon.

Weather forecasts predict better conditions on Saturday, although rain is likely to remain a threat throughout the weekend.

Remote video URL

Fabio Quartararo starts the Dutch TT at Assen, the final event before the MotoGP summer break, holding a 34-point lead over Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and 61-point advantage over Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco.

That means, whatever happens on Sunday, the Yamaha star will remain at the head of the world championship table during the holidays, but the young Frenchman would no doubt love to close the opening ‘half’ with a repeat of last year’s Assen victory.

While Quartararo has built up breathing room at the top, the likes of Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini (-72 points) and especially factory Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia have suffered badly in recent rounds and will be desperate to steady the ship with a podium return in The Netherlands.

A dark horse could be Espargaro’s team-mate Maverick Vinales, who finished second to then team-mate Quartararo (from pole position) at Assen last season and arrives fresh from his best race showing on the RS-GP, until hitting ride height problems in Germany.

Meanwhile, the notorious Assen weather is set to keep riders and teams on their toes throughout the weekend.

 

Dutch MotoGP race weekend schedule (UK time)

Friday 24 June

8am-8.40am - Moto3 Free Practice 1

8.55am-9.40am - MotoGP Free Practice 1

9.55am-10.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 1

12.15pm -12.55pm - Moto3 Free Practice 2

1.10pm-1.55pm - MotoGP Free Practice 2

2.10pm-2.50pm - Moto2 Free Practice 2

Saturday 25 June

8am-8.40am - Moto3 Free Practice 3

8.55am-9.40am - MotoGP Free Practice 3

9.55am-10.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 3

11.35am-11.50am - Moto3 Qualifying 1

12pm-12.15pm - Moto3 Qualifying 2

12.30-1pm - MotoGP Free Practice 4

1.10pm-1.25pm - MotoGP Qualifying 1

1.35pm-1.50pm - MotoGP Qualifying 2

2.10pm-2.25pm - Moto2 Qualifying 1

2.35pm-2.50pm - Moto2 Qualifying 2

Sunday 26 June

8am-8.10am - Moto3 warm-up

8.20am-8.30am - Moto2 warm-up

8.40am-9am - MotoGP warm-up

10am - Moto3 race

11.20am - Moto2 race

1pm - MotoGP race


 

Sachsenring: MotoGP World Championship standings
Pos RiderNatTeamPointsDiff.
1=Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)172 
2=Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)138(-34)
3^1Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)111(-61)
4˅1Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)100(-72)
5^1Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)82(-90)
6˅1Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)81(-91)
7^2Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)81(-91)
8˅1Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)69(-103)
9˅1Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)69(-103)
10^1Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)64(-108)
11^1Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)61(-111)
12˅2Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)60(-112)
13^1Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)52(-120)
14˅1Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)46(-126)
15=Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)40(-132)
16=Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)38(-134)
17=Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*35(-137)
18=Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)26(-146)
19=Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)25(-147)
20^1Fabio di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*16(-156)
21˅1Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*10(-162)
22=Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)10(-162)
23=Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*9(-163)
24=Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*5(-167)

 

Read More

Subscribe to our MotoGP Newsletter

Get the latest MotoGP news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox