Assen 250cc GP - Results In Full

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time
1. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 40m44.008s
2. Hector Barbera Aprilia +4.424
3. Marco Simoncelli Gilera +10.339
4. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia +11.383
5. Roberto Locatelli Gilera +11.596
6. Alex Debon Aprilia +14.265
7. Karel Abraham Aprilia +17.982
8. Hector Faubel Honda +19.012
9. Rattapark Wilairot Honda +20.926
10. Raffaele de Rosa Honda +21.033
11. Mike di Meglio Aprilia +32.128
12. Lukas Pesek Aprilia +41.329
13. Alex Baldolini Aprilia +1:05.321
14. Valentin Debise Honda +1:12.451
15. Imre Toth Aprilia +1 lap
16. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia +1 lap


Retirements

Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 22 laps
Bastien Chesaux Honda 19 laps
Axel Pons Aprilia 16 laps
Toby Markham Honda 14 laps
Steve Bonsey Aprilia 13 laps
Mattia Pasini Aprilia 13 laps
Thomas Luthi Aprilia 10 laps
Jules Cluzel Aprilia 5 laps
Shoya Tomizawa Honda 0 laps

Assen 250cc GP - Alvaro Wiped Out By Hiro

Less said the better quite frankly...
A brilliant run from Alvaro (on for second or first spot) cut short with about a lap to go when Hiro Aoyama amde a mistake in the final chicane, running wide and slowing right down only to come back onto the track to take out Alvaro who was on the correct line, very close behind.
It was an accident... yeah - I know... and it was by one of the *good* riders in the class... but that doesn't stop it from hurting - particularly as Hiro was able to nurse his bike to the win swapping Bati's 12 point championship lead over him to a 13 pint deficit. And that's galling.

Anyway, here's Alvaro's words on the race...
"My plan was to take it right to the end with Aoyama, because I saw that in the final sector I was quicker than him and I could try a pass. I think that I could have done it, but maybe he had a problem with the bike that stopped him in the chicane. I ran into the back of him and couldn't do anything. The crash is a pity because we could have taken at least twenty points, and the incident has lost us the leadership of the championship. We have to look at the good side though, we had a good race and showed that we are very strong. The results will keep coming if we keep working like we are now."

Assen GP - 250cc Qualifying Times

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Laps
1. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1:40.019 22
2. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1:40.192 + 0.173 21
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1:40.210 + 0.191 22
4. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1:40.320 + 0.301 19
5. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:40.796 + 0.777 21
6. Alex Debon Aprilia 1:40.830 + 0.811 20
7. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 1:41.023 + 1.004 21
8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1:41.055 + 1.036 21
9. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1:41.072 + 1.053 19
10. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1:41.190 + 1.171 20
11. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1:41.235 + 1.216 20
12. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1:41.347 + 1.328 20
13. Hector Faubel Honda 1:41.462 + 1.443 16
14. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1:41.533 + 1.514 22
15. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1:41.545 + 1.526 21
16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1:42.038 + 2.019 19
17. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1:42.628 + 2.609 14
18. Stevie Bonsey Aprilia 1:42.697 + 2.678 13
19. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1:43.075 + 3.056 13
20. Axel Pons Aprilia 1:43.470 + 3.451 21
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1:43.653 + 3.634 19
22. Imre Toth Aprilia 1:43.913 + 3.894 20
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1:44.704 + 4.685 21
24. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1:44.743 + 4.724 17
25. Toby Markham Honda 1:46.758 + 6.739 14

Alvaro Lines Up 3rd For Assen GP

"I had a few problems with the front end in corner entry this afternoon, which I think is because we were running a used front tyre and a new rear. About halfway through this afternoon's qualifying we started to make some progress with the bike and I began to enjoy myself. In the end it was a good session, with a good pace, so I hope I can keep riding like I want to tomorrow in both the warm-up and the race. We were really close to pole but the most important thing was to be on the front row and we've done that. I'd like to improve the bike a little more before the race tomorrow just to be on the safe side but I think the fight will be between the same people as Barcelona, with Aoyama and Barberá both looking good. This morning we tried a few things with the front-end set-up and went down the wrong route at one point, which is what led to the crash, but I'm not worried because we know what the problem was."

Assen: Thursday Quotes From Alvaro

"To be honest the lap times weren't particularly quick today. We had a problem at the start of the session and the rear of the bike was sliding around a lot - also the engine wasn't working as it should be but as the session progressed we ironed things out. I'm still not completely happy with the rear of my Aprilia because it is not gripping and I can't open the throttle when I want to. So that is mainly what we need to work on tomorrow and I'm convinced we can make big improvements. It's not bad for the first day but we can't afford to go to sleep tomorrow. Barberá and myself are a little ahead of the rest but that doesn't mean anything because the pace will increase tomorrow. In our case we know where we can go faster and that is what we need to do in order for me to have fun on the bike."

Assen: Alvaro Takes P1 in FP1

Pos | Rider | Team | Laptime | Gap

1 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 1'40.817
2 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 1'41.002 0.185
3 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 1'41.472 0.655
4 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 1'41.680 0.863
5 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 1'41.710 0.893
6 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly - CP 1'41.832 1.015
7 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 1'41.866 1.049
8 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'41.941 1.124
9 Aleix ESPARGARO Balatonring Team 1'42.482 1.665
10 Thomas LUTHI Emmi - Caffe Latte 1'42.502 1.685
11 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 1'42.539 1.722
12 Hector FAUBEL Valencia CF - Honda SAG 1'42.674 1.857
13 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'42.744 1.927
14 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'42.817 2.000
15 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 1'42.888 2.071
16 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 1'42.890 2.073
17 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 1'42.900 2.083
18 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto - GP250 1'44.250 3.433
19 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 1'45.039 4.222
20 Stevie BONSEY Milar - Juegos Lucky 1'45.428 4.611
21 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 1'45.493 4.676
22 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 1'45.837 5.020
23 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto - GP250 1'45.899 5.082
24 Toby MARKHAM C&L Racing 1'47.246 6.429
25 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 1'47.530 6.713

Alvaro Looks Ahead To Assen

"I think we're strong right now and we go to Holland with plenty of confidence and motivation after the victory in Barcelona. Assen is a circuit I really like, with a mixture of fast and twisty sections, and in general it's a nice place. Last year we won from pole and we have good references, so hopefully the weather can be on our side like it was at the last round so that we can set the pace again. Our objective will be to work hard from Friday and find the best set-up possible so that we have every chance of fighting for the win on Saturday.
Being the series leader is a source of great motivation but you have to remember that there is still a long way to go in the championship and it is important we stay consistent. If I have a chance to go for the win I won't think twice about it, but if it's not on then I'll take as many points as I can."

Post-race Quote From Alvaro: Assen

1st Alvaro Bautista:
"I am very happy about this result, above all because after the past two races when we weren't able to win in the final moments. This victory is very important for us, because it gives confidence and continues our run of podium finishes. The conditions were difficult, and we had to tweak the bike five minutes before the race. The asphalt was dry, but they declared a wet race, and at the midway point I wasn't going to push when leading. All except for Luthi were far back. It rained again and things were back to normal. Sooner or later this result was going to come, so we'll try and continue this form, the desire to win remains as strong as ever for myself and the team."

Dutch GP - Assen - 250cc: Race Results In Full

Pos | Rider | Nation | Team | Total time

1 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team 40'54.117
2 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 4.597
3 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 6.003
4 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 9.034
5 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 9.079
6 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 11.515
7 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 12.874
8 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 13.622
9 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 21.168
10 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 28.789
11 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 37.607
12 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 37.741
13 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 38.729
14 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 39.165
15 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 43.037
16 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 54.171
17 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 54.334
18 F. WATZ SWE Jaap Kingma Racing + 1'24.430
19 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia 1 Lap
20 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia 1 Lap

Not classified
M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing 7 Lap
M. PASINI ITA Polaris World 13 Lap

Not finished 1st lap
R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia

Not starting
K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing

Pic Of The Day. Without A Doubt...

Alvaro Kicks Assen!

Brilliant job from Alvaro Bautista today, putting the disappointment of Donington squarely behind him to take a definitive victory in a race of mixed and unpredictable conditions.

Initially I'll admit to worrying as he pulled one of his occasional naff starts, dropping from pole down to somewhere around 9th I think, before - even within the first lap - regaining his composure and starting to creep up through the field.
'Creep' is probably the wrong word actually, as his progress was pretty rapid; clearing the likes of Debon and Kalio to soon move in front of Luthi and take the lead.

He lost the lead again for a short while when a few drops of rain unsettled the field, only to take it back and pull away again to an easy win.

Other entertainment in the race came from Hector Barbera inventing new corners and straights occasionally (almost taking out Kallio on one of his jaunts), and Simoncelli getting some of his own medicine in a first corner tangle with Luthi (something which he for some reason didn't appear to see the funny side of in the press conference. Either a superb attempt at irony, or 100% lack of self-awareness...)

Anyway - superb job Alvaro, and it's brilliant to see the smile again.
And great to see you bumped back up to 4th in the championship.
Estupendo Bati! :)


Here's the results in brief
(will post the full list when they're available)...

1. Bautista (Aprilia)
2. Luthi (Aprilia) +4.597secs
3. Simoncelli (Gilera) +6.003secs
4. Debon (Aprilia) +9.034secs
5. Barbera (Aprilia) +9.079secs
6. Aoyama (KTM) +11.515secs
7. Kallio (KTM) +12.874secs
8. Takahashi (Honda) +13.622secs
9. Locatelli (Gilera) +21.168secs
10. Simon (KTM) +28.789secs

Alvaro Bautista - Quote After Quali 2, Assen

1st Álvaro Bautista: 1.39.510 (21 laps):
"This is my fifth pole of the season and I'm delighted about it. The lap times didn't come down today because the conditions were worse than yesterday but I feel comfortable with the bike, even in the wind. The track wasn't as grippy as yesterday but I was happy on the bike. We have changed a few details with the configuration and we got more and more competitive each time. The initial objective for the race is the same as usual - to do my job properly and have fun. Once we see the situation in the race we'll decide on a strategy. We have to stay cool on track and be ready for anything. It will be a tough race if the wind is as strong as it was today but I think we're ready and even stronger than we were for the last race, which was in similar conditions."

Alvaro - Quote after Quali 1, Assen

1st Álvaro Bautista: 1.39.510 (22 laps):
"I'm really happy because even though it's only the first day we've lapped really well. I've improved my lap time from last year and even improved on the lap record at this track so I'm very satisfied. We didn't have the perfect set-up this morning and I crashed at the end of the session. But in qualifying we changed the geometry of my Aprilia and I felt much more comfortable, to the point that I was able to set that lap time. The adjustments to the engine also worked and we've gained in acceleration. Because of the way the track is here you need the engine to be working perfectly. At the end of qualifying there was a lot of traffic on track and I was only able to get one fast lap in. Hopefully we can improve tomorrow and set a better pace - I'm sure everybody else will so we can't go to sleep."

Dutch GP - Assen - 250cc: Qualifying 1

Pos | Rider | Nation | Team | Lap time

1 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team 1'39.510
2 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.231
3 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.468
4 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 0.700
5 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 0.945
6 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 1.176
7 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 1.232
8 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 1.234
9 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 1.286
10 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.339
11 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 1.352
12 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 1.668
13 M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing + 1.670
14 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 1.775
15 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.896
16 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 2.033
17 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 2.123
18 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 2.170
19 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 3.598
20 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 3.735
21 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 3.754
22 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia + 5.957
23 F. WATZ SWE Jaap Kingma Racing + 6.326
24 R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia + 6.464

Dutch GP - Assen - Event Schedule

Thursday June 26

125cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 09:00-09:45
MotoGP :: Free Practice 1 :: 10:00-11:00
250cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 11:15-12:15
125cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:10-13:40
MotoGP :: Free Practice 2 :: 13:55-14:55
250cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 15:10-15:55

*************************************

Friday June 27

125cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 09:00-09:45
MotoGP :: Free Practice 3 :: 10:00-11:00
250cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 11:15-12:15
125cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 13:15-13:40
MotoGP :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:55-14:55
250cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 15:10-15:55

*************************************

Saturday June 28

125cc :: Warm-Up :: 08:40-09:00
250cc :: Warm-Up :: 09:10-09:30
MotoGP :: Warm-Up :: 09:40-10:00
125cc :: Race :: 11:00-11:45
250cc :: Race :: 12:15-13:00
MotoGP :: Race :: 14:00-15:00

*************************************

(*All times local)