MotoGP Qualifying Results: Dovizioso Puts Ducati Team On Pole For Dutch GP

2016 Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying Results
1. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (4) Ducati Team DUCATI
2. Valentino ROSSI (46) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA
3. Scott REDDING (45) OCTO Pramac Yakhnich DUCATI
4. Marc MARQUEZ (93), Repsol Honda Team HONDA
5. Cal CRUTCHLOW (35) LCR Honda HONDA
6. Yonny HERNANDEZ (68) Aspar Team MotoGP DUCATI
7. Pol ESPARGARO (44) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA
8. Aleix ESPARGARO (41) Team Suzuki Ecstar SUZUKI
9. Danilo PETRUCCI (9) OCTO Pramac Yakhnich DUCATI
10. Jorge LORENZO (99) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA
11. Maverick VIÑALES (25) Team Suzuki Ecstar SUZUKI
12. Hector BARBERA (8) Avintia Racing DUCATI
13. Bradley SMITH (38) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA
14. Alvaro BAUTISTA (19) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA
15. Dani PEDROSA (26) Repsol Honda Team HONDA
16. Eugene LAVERTY (50) Aspar Team MotoGP DUCATI
17. Stefan BRADL (6) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA
18. Jack MILLER (43) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS HONDA
19. Tito RABAT (53) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS HONDA
20. Michele PIRRO (51) OCTO Pramac Yakhnich DUCATI
21. Andrea IANNONE (29) Ducati Team DUCATI

With FP4 and Q1 at TT Assen Circuit plagued with falls, riders approached the second qualifying session with a healthy amount of caution during their first laps. The rain had eased but the track was clearly still too wet for slick tires, resulting in the first wet qualifying session of the new Michelin era.

Crashes were almost immediate as Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) fell at Turn 5 on his out lap. His fall was quickly followed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) who came off at Turn 8, grabbing a photographer’s scooter to get back to the pits as quick as possible.

For just the fourth time in his premier class career, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) will start from pole position. Conditions were incredibly tricky but Desmo Dovi showed his skill and experience to set a 1’45.246 to take pole by over half a second. This is his third pole while riding with Ducati, his last coming in Qatar back in 2015. Andrea Dovizioso’s lone MotoGP win came at the British GP in 2009 in wet conditions, he could be on course for a second one if the rain remains.

It proved to be a good day for another Italian, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) taking second on the grid. Like Dovizioso, Rossi is known for his ability when the conditions are less than ideal. With both Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) having problems and starting down from the order, Rossi has an excellent chance to close the 22-point gap in the championship. It’s still a three-way battle for the title and momentum is on Rossi’s side heading into Sunday’s race.

Leading the Independent Team charge and rounding out the front row is Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich). The Brit will start from the front row for the first time in the premier class, his last front row coming at the British GP in 2013 when he was battling for the Moto2 World Championship. This comes as a welcome confidence boost for Redding who has been hit by a number of technical issues early in the season. Ducati riders have classically performed very well in the wet, his teammate scoring a podium at the British GP in 2015.

A relieved Marc Marquez will start the Motul TT Assen from fourth place, not quite able to re-create his magic wall-jumping pole from Austin. Given the circumstances, it could have been much worse. Just behind Marquez is fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) in sixth. The Brit is not overly confident for Sunday’s race, labeling it a lottery if it’s wet.

Completing the second row is Yonny Hernandez (Aspar Team MotoGP), the Colombian inside the top 10 on the grid for the first time since Germany in 2015 when he was fifth.

Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) completed the top 10 in the session.

Andrea Iannone was ninth but will start Sunday’s race from last due to his penalty from Catalunya, moving everyone else up a position. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will need any bit of help he can get after only managing 11th place in the session. There’s a lot of work to do for the factory Yamaha rider from 10th on the grid, his up and down love affair with Assen continuing.