Dutch GP: Vinales pips Quartararo for pole

Bengaluru, June 26: For the first time since the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Maverick Vinales of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will start from pole position for the Dutch GP after setting a new all-time TT Circuit Assen lap record of 1:31.814 in Q2.

The Spaniard and team-mate Fabio Quartararo went head-to-head in an exhilarating qualifying, with the 2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship leader settling for P2 ahead of Q1 graduate Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Two Yamahas lead a Ducati on the front row as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) is forced to start from P20 at the Motul TT Assen.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) decided it was his turn to sit on the provisional front row as he grabbed the fourth position on the grid, a place above title Pramac Racing's Johann Zarco, who had grabbed the pole at Sachsenring.

Alex Rins suffered a late crash at Turn 8, but is unhurt and will start from P8 as the leading Suzuki, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) are on the third row in 8th and 9th respectively.

Reigning world champion Joan Mir's (Team Suzuki Ecstar) qualifying struggles continued as the Spaniard starts P10.

Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) is the second fastest Honda rider in P11, the Spaniard sits 0.089sec ahead of 12th place Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT).

After a crash in Q1, Marquez will start from his worst premier class qualifying position in P20, as the Sachsenring winner and fourth place finisher Brad Binder (Red Bull Factory Racing) endured a tough afternoon at Assen - P21 for the South African.

Can anyone take the fight to the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders on Sunday? Find out at 2pm local time (5.30pm IST).

The Indian audience can catch all the action live on Eurosport SD/HD channels.

Qualifying Grid:

1. Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) - 1:31.814
2. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.071
3. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.302
4. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 0.500
5. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.580
6. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.636
7. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.783
8. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.795
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.852
10. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.934