Jorge Martin claimed his fifth pole position in six races after a late burst saw him overhaul Enea Bastianini in qualifying at Assen. The Spaniard, who looked in danger of missing the race entirely following a heavy high-side on Friday afternoon, saw off Bastianini by three tenths of a second with the two other title frontrunners back on the third row.
For Martin, today’s success was a far cry from the way Friday had ended for him with a high-side at turn three seeing him carried away on a stretcher. Fortunately, the Gresini rider was back in action for qualifying and quickly demonstrated that he was suffering no ill-effects, taking provisional pole at the halfway stage with a 1:42.526.
With a quarter of an hour remaining, Bastianini took over with a 1:42.349 but in true Martin fashion, the Spaniard circulated alone while his rivals searched for a slipstream and Jorge’s blistering speed saw him clock a 1:42.039, taking pole way out of Bastianini’s reach. Aron Canet had looked set to complete the front row but a last-ditch effort from Nicolo Bulega would relegate him to fourth.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta was fifth quickest ahead of John McPhee with both climbing up the order on their final laps while Fabio Di Giannantonio slipped to seventh, one spot ahead of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi who lost any chance of improving when he tripped over his team-mate Jakub Kornfeil at the Geert Timmer chicane. Marcos Ramirez completes the third row in ninth with Catalunya podium finisher Gabriel Rodrigo close behind in tenth.
Moto3 Motul TT Assen: (Qualifying)
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