Forward NGM’s Aleix Espargaro has bagged his debut MotoGP pole position at Assen this afternoon in a session where rain fell just after pitlane opened and the Spaniard took the most risks to set the fastest time.
A gaggle of 12 riders left the pits with first Jorge Lorenzo and then Marc Marquez at the fore but it was Espargaro, using the softest option Bridgestone tyre, who braved the tricky conditions to set a 1’38.789 with Marquez second and Dani Pedrosa third.
It was disaster for the Movistar Yamaha team, though, as Lorenzo ended the session in ninth place and on the outside of the front row while Valentino Rossi was totally caught out by the conditions and ended dead last in 12th place.
Pramac Ducati’s Andrea Iannone followed Marquez as he dashed through the pack and finished up in fourth place while Cal Crutchlow made the best of the conditions to come up into fifth place.
The British rider was mired down in 17th in the fourth free practice session and then put in one hold-your-breath lap in qualifying one to make it through to the second session. He then braved the damp track so set a 1’40.796.
Bradley Smith ended in sixth with a 1’40.818 but said was on the grass at least once due to the conditions and nearly collided with another rider when he was in the big pack. Andrea Dovizioso was seventh, Stefan Bradl eighth, Lorenzo ninth and Alvaro Bautista tenth.
Pol Espargaro is one place ahead of Rossi with Karel Abraham in 13th. Scott Redding finished in 16th with Michael Laverty down in 21st.
