Vinales smashes Assen lap record to take pole

Published June 27, 2021
ASSEN: Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales (R) and Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro in action during qualifying for the Dutch MotoGP at the TT Circuit Assen on Saturday.—Reuters
ASSEN: Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales (R) and Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro in action during qualifying for the Dutch MotoGP at the TT Circuit Assen on Saturday.—Reuters

ASSEN: Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales edged out team-mate Fabio Quartararo in a late shootout to claim his maiden pole position of the season after both riders smashed the lap record in qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday.

World championship leader Quartararo looked set to take pole for the sixth time in seven races when he set a lap record of one minute, 31.922 seconds at the TT Circuit Assen also known as the ‘Cathedral of Speed’.

But Vinales, who had been fastest in all three practice sessions, turned on the style as he breached Quartararo’s early benchmark to finish in 1:31.814 seconds and grab front place on the grid.

Quartararo came through the first two sectors of his final lap with a slender lead on his team mate but made an error at Turn 10 to almost slip out of track limits, forcing him to settle for second place.

It caps a remarkable turnaround for Vinales, who finished last in last week’s German MotoGP.

He is clearly enjoying his return to the track, having already won the last MotoGP there in 2019 and also triumphed there twice in the lower formulas.

It will be Vinales’ first pole since the Emilia Romagna GP last year.

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia surged up to third in the closing moments, ahead of LCR Honda’s Takaaki Naka­gami and Q1 pacesetter Johann Zarco of Pramac Ducati.

Six-time world champion Marc Marquez, who won his first race last week since his injury comeback, will start in 20th after crashing out in the Q1 session.

Heading into Sunday’s race, Quartararo leads the championship table with 131 points, 22 clear of Zarco in second place.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Property valuation
Updated 31 Oct, 2024

Property valuation

Market valuation rates will not help boost tax revenues without plugging such loopholes in the system.
Hitting a wall
31 Oct, 2024

Hitting a wall

PAKISTAN still has a long way to go in defeating polio. Despite our decades-long fight against the debilitating...
Kurram violence
31 Oct, 2024

Kurram violence

DESPITE years of intermittent and bloody conflict in Kurram, the state has been unable to bring lasting peace to ...
Court business
Updated 30 Oct, 2024

Court business

The unity and commonality of purpose on display in the full court meeting are what will help the SC endure.
UNRWA ban
30 Oct, 2024

UNRWA ban

NOT content with the war of extermination it is executing against the Palestinian people, Israel now wants to ensure...
Cricket changes
30 Oct, 2024

Cricket changes

WIN or lose, Pakistan cricket seems to be embroiled in a constant state of flux. Just when things seemed to be...