Tech3 duo primed for the cathedral of speed challenge
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 team pairing of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith optimistically await the eighth round of the 2016 MotoGP season at the legendary Assen circuit where they aim to storm to two top tier results. This weekend’s Motul TT Assen will be the first time in the race’s history that it will run on Sunday as opposed to Saturday, with the venue being the only one to have hosted a round of the Motorcycle World Championship every year since 1949.
Pol Espargaro will confidently set about following up his impressive finish of 5th at the last round in Cataluña with a strong showing aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. The young Spaniard, who recently celebrated his 25th birthday, will seek to use the knowledge gained at the confidence boosting post Catalan Grand Prix test to make another step forward and consolidate his standing of 6th in the championship.
Meanwhile, Bradley Smith intends to determinedly battle his way to the top independent position in Sunday’s race and bounce back after an unfortunate mechanical issue caused him to retire at the last GP. The Briton, who holds a positive record at the Dutch venue, will look to begin the weekend with instant speed and complete the event with an notable performance in front of the passionate and festive crowd.
Pol Espargaro
Championship: 6th Points: 59
“As always I am looking forward to heading back to the famous Assen circuit where I will carry on the fight to be as close to the factory MotoGP riders as possible. At the last round, which was my home GP, I was very happy to get 5th which equalled my best result of the season. Then, we undertook a useful test the following day and collected some important data, which will certainly help us in the future. Therefore, I am confident that we can have a positive weekend once again, in the Netherlands. For sure the weather will be important and there might be a chance of rain, so we really need to be focused from the first session onwards in order to be prepared in case of bad weather. However, I am determined to do well and it’s always a pleasure to ride at Assen.”
Bradley Smith
Championship: 12th Points: 29
“The last GP ended in a disappointing way for me, yet, I know that I could have ended the Cataluña race well, so I will remain optimistic for the forthcoming Motul TT Assen. It will be the first time that we race there on a Sunday, and it goes without saying that I want to kick off the new schedule with a good performance. The circuit is definitely a unique one and it is a track where I have had success over the years, with two podium finishes in the lower classes. We still have some catching up to do on my teammate, but after the constructive test in Cataluña, I am certain we can get back to where we need to be. A lot of English fans make the journey over to the cathedral of speed so I will do my absolute best to give them a lot to cheer about.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager :
“The Motul TT Assen is a very special race and with the track having so much history, it’s hard not to get excited about racing there. Surely, it will be another tough battle but the Yamaha suits the track well, due to its fast corners and the meandering layout. Therefore we are confident in saying that both of our guys can fight for the top independent position in Sunday’s event. Pol had a strong result last year plus after the encouraging week in Cataluña at the race and also in the test, we are certain that he is highly motivated for this event. I have no doubt that he will be aiming to leave the Netherlands as the best satellite rider for the fifth time this season. On the other side of the pit box, we expect Brad to be right with his teammate and fighting as close as possible to the factory MotoGP bikes. He is in the right frame of mind and has now adapted to the new tyres and electronics, even if it has taken him a little longer than some riders. Yet, we know that he will do his best, like always, so that he can leave this race in a positive way. We are all looking forward to the visiting the legendary venue and we can’t wait to get going.”
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Barbera y Pirro ready for Sunday’s Dutch TT
After two weeks without action Hector Barbera heads to the Netherlands for the eight round of the MotoGP World Championship. This weekend will mark a momentous break in tradition for Assen, and for the first time the race is scheduled for Sunday, while all previous 85 Dutch TT’s have been held on Saturday. But this won’t be a problem for Avintia Racing rider who used the last couple of weeks to improve his physical condition ahead of Assen, where he expects to be closer to the factory bikes, also during the race. Last time out in Barcelona he impressively got fourth on the grid during qualifying, but then on Sunday his rear tyre dropped down fast and he was out of the top 10. But after testing some new Michelin tyres on Monday test at Barcelona, Barbera is optimistic and confident ahead the next races.
Michele Pirro will replace once again Loris Baz, the Frenchman still recovering from his injured right foo and will miss the race. Last time Pirro raced at Assen was two years ago, but he likes the track and he is eager to get better performances of the Desmosedici GP14.2 than in Barcelona.
Hector Barbera
“Monday test at Catalunya was good for us. We worked in the electronics, but we also tested some new Michelin tyres that I really liked. I hope they bring them the next races as these tyres could help us to get closer. I also did some hard training with my bicycle in the last two weeks, so I’ll be strong at Assen. I like the track and I love the fast sectors. Last year I was the best Open in qualifying, but then someone blew me out of the track in the first lap, so I’m looking forward to complete the race this season.”
Michele Pirro
“I’m really happy to race again for Avintia Racing, but at the same time sad for Loris, so I hope he gets well soon. I’ll have the chance to do more kilometres with the GP14 and we’ll work from the base we built at Barcelona. I like Assen, although my last race there was two years ago. But I’m confident on improving our performance from Barcelona, where the rear tyre dropped down a lot and we were not able to get the best of the bike. I also want to thank Ducati for letting me race at Assen.”
More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:
Miller and Rabat aim to keep momentum rolling in Assen
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Jack Miller and Tito Rabat have set their sights firmly on another strong double result when the MotoGP World Championship resumes in Holland this weekend.
Buoyed by brilliant performances in Barcelona, Miller and Rabat have taken full advantage of a welcome two-week break to further convalesce from injuries suffered earlier this year in advance of the legendary Dutch TT at Assen.
Miller has undertaken an intensive training schedule, which included a cycling stint on the Isle of Man, to further build strength in the right leg he broke in two places back in late January.
The Australian is now raring to go for round eight of the 2016 campaign after he finished inside the top 10 for the first time in his premier class career at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The two-week break gave Rabat the perfect opportunity to return to 100% fitness after his courageous and controlled ride to 14th in Barcelona came just 15 days after he broke his left collarbone in a Mugello practice crash.
Rabat has continued with an exhaustive rehabilitation to be in prime physical condition for the challenge of racing on the 4.5km Assen track where he finished runner-up in Moto2 12 months ago.
This weekend’s race is the 250th MotoGP encounter to be staged since it was introduced as a replacement for the 500cc two-stroke class and marks a momentous break in tradition for Assen. All previous 85 Dutch TT’s have been held on a Saturday, but for the first time in its distinguished history, the only race to have featured in each World Championship campaign since 1949 will be staged on a Sunday.
Jack Miller:
“It was a good weekend in Barcelona, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves off the back of one good result. We found some direction in Barcelona and we need to keep working to improve both our qualifying performance and our race pace. I’m looking forward to getting to Assen and giving it a go round there. I like the track; last year I had really good speed there on the open bike, so I’m looking forward to trying the factory bike there this time around.”
Tito Rabat:
“The race in Barcelona definitely gave my confidence a good lift and I needed it after the injury problems from Mugello. It was good to have the two-week break because I needed it to help my left shoulder fully recover. I have been working really hard to get back to my peak level of fitness and I feel going to Assen I will be able to push at 100% again. I really like Assen and it will be great for me to ride a MotoGP bike for the first time at such an iconic venue. It is important that I can build on the point scoring finish in Barcelona with another strong challenge for the top 15 again this weekend.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“For us Barcelona was the high point of the season so far and we need to carry the same momentum into this weekend’s race at Assen. Jack secured his best ever result in MotoGP last time out, which was a welcome boost to his confidence after what has been a tough start to the season. Hopefully he can build on that this weekend, at a track at which he went well last year. Tito heads to Assen with another two weeks of recovery and training under his belt, so I’m sure he’ll be back to full fitness and looking to continue his progress with the Honda RC213V this weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Aspar riders ready for historic race at Assen
Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernández looking forward to giving their best on first ever Dutch TT to take place on a Sunday
Tradition or modernisation? Uniqueness or uniformity? The MotoGP World Championship moves at dizzying speeds and finally this weekend, after years of racing on the final Saturday in June, the Dutch TT will ditch the former for the latter and embrace Sunday service at the ‘Cathedral of Speed.’ However, history still seeps through every pore of the Assen TT Circuit, which welcomes the world’s premier motorcycle racing series with Marc Márquez on top of the championship after seven rounds of the season so far. Márquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are the only active riders in the series to have won here before – Rossi with seven, his latest coming last season, whilst Márquez and Lorenzo have one apiece. The trio lead this year’s standings but are currently covered by less points than those on offer for a repeat win this Sunday.
The Aspar Team head into the eighth round of the championship in a positive frame of mind and confident of their chances. Eugene Laverty arrives at Assen feeling determined to recover his top ten position in the championship, which he had held from the Argentina round until Barcelona, and extend his run of points-scoring finishes for another race. Laverty knows exactly what it takes to win at Assen, having done so in Supersport and Superbikes, although those good memories are counterbalanced by his crash last season in MotoGP. Yonny Hernández recognises that Assen is not an ideal circuit for his riding style and after six seasons racing there he has a best finish of thirteenth in Moto2. Hernández is hoping for a repeat of the strong starts he made to the weekends in Italy and Barcelona but with a more favourable result on Sunday.
Eugene Laverty: “My objective this weekend is another top ten finish. After the result in Barcelona I have dropped out of the top ten in the championship so we have to keep pushing to get back amongst the best. I like the Assen circuit but it will be important to control the power of the Ducati to make it manageable. I am very focused on this next race and on getting my place back in the top ten.”
Yonny Hernández: “Assen is a circuit where I have struggled in the past to achieve a good result. It is not one of my favourites but we will work with the same attitude as every other round to prepare for the race in the best possible way. I am full of positive energy ready for another race in this World Championship. We are keeping our heads up despite the last few results, which do not reflect our true level, and preparing with the same intensity. It is always important to keep a cool head during the toughest moments and to never lose hope.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW READY TO GET BACK RACING AT ASSEN
Fresh from having been a spectator at the Isle of Man TT over the past couple of weeks, Cal Crutchlow this weekend gets to take part in the Dutch TT at Assen, the oldest and most revered venue on the MotoGP World Championship calendar. In a break from a long-standing tradition however, the TT race takes place on a Sunday for the very first time, in an effort to give modern fans the full weekend experience.
The LCR Honda Team head to the Netherlands on a positive note, after Crutchlow secured the best finish of his season so far at the last round in Catalonia, followed up by setting the fastest time of the post-race testing session. The British rider also enjoys racing at Assen, having taken pole position and a podium finish at the ‘Cathedral’ in 2013.
Hopes are high for another step forward for Cal and the team on what is a special weekend for all concerned, as it marks the celebration of 250 races of collaboration between LCR Honda and GIVI.
#35 Cal Crutchlow
“I’ve spent some time back on the Isle of Man over the last couple of weeks, watching a bit of racing at the TT, which is one of my favourite events of the year. However, obviously now I’m looking forward to Holland, because we had a more positive weekend in Barcelona and I think Assen is a circuit where the Honda will work quite well. We are keen to get to work on the base setting of the bike in the first free practices and get ready for the weekend.”
“We always get a great crowd at Assen, and I really enjoy seeing and meeting everyone there. Hopefully there will be even more fans now the race is on a Sunday, and we can have a good weekend on the LCR Honda with GIVI.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
MOTOGP BACK ON THE TRACK AT THE ASSEN CIRCUIT
APRILIA IN HOLLAND TO CONFIRM THE IMPROVEMENT SEEN AT BARCELONA
The 4,542 metres of the TT Circuit Assen will mark MotoGP’s return to the track for the eighth round of the 2016 Championship season. A historic track, the only one to have hosted a Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing round every year since 1949, modified several times over the years but always capable of providing an exciting show. This weekend will be the first time the races are held on Sunday instead of Saturday as they traditionally have been in the past.
Aprilia will be going to Holland after a positive weekend in Barcelona, validated by Alvaro Bautista’s excellent eighth place finish and Stefan Bradl’s finish in the points. It was a result built on the progress shown by the Aprilia RS-GP and the hard work in the garage by the entire Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, especially in terms of the bike setup that helped the riders manage the tyres in the second half of the Catalunya race.
ROMANO ALBESIANO – APRILIA RACING MANAGER
“We had a good feeling on the track at Assen already last year and now we are arriving with a completely new bike that will be on this track for the first time, but we intend to resume with that feeling to build another good weekend. Looking at what happened in Barcelona, we need to concentrate on improving our performance in qualifying most of all so that we can take the best possible advantage of the race pace that we have demonstrated. Moving up a few positions on the starting grid would make our goal easier to achieve, which is still to battle for a top 10 finish”.
FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER
“At Barcelona the entire team worked very well in view of the race. This was a commitment that allowed us to achieve an important result, with Alvaro managing to pull off a great comeback and Stefan in the points again. This is a result that gives us confidence in view of the important round at Assen, where in any case we hope to be able to take a significant step forward in terms of the RS-GP’s overall performance, even in the practice sessions”.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“Assen is a very particular track where the first, slow part alternates with a second, fast part and a lot of direction changes. It is always hard to find a setting that lets you go fast in both situations. After our performance at Barcelona, where we worked well, we hope that we can do it again, even improving on the flying lap in qualifying. It will be a new track for the RS-GP and we need to keep working with the usual goal: a top 10 finish”.
STEFAN BRADL
“After a break we are back on the track at Assen, where last year I crashed but today the feeling is completely different and I can’t wait to get out there on a rather particular track. The last two tracks, Barcelona and Mugello, were fast and flowing, whereas in Holland it takes a different setup. I like the track and there will be a lot of German fans coming out to see us. Hopefully we’ll have good weather. The goal is to exploit the characteristics of our RS-GP as best we can”.
More, from a press release issued by Michelin:
MICHELIN READY TO WORSHIP AT THE ‘CATHEDRAL OF SPEED’
Michelin is heading to the most northerly and one of the most historic venues on the MotoGP™ calendar as round eight of the championship rolls in to Assen in the Netherlands for the famous Dutch TT.
The 4,542m long Assen circuit has seen many changes through its history and holds the enviable record of being the only circuit to have staged the Motorcycle World Championship race every year since the series was created in 1949. Through those years it has staged many memorable races and earned the name of ‘The Cathedral of Speed’. The track is a is a mix of six left and twelve right-hand corners, varying from very slow turns to high-speed curves, a feature that makes the circuit a favourite with many racers. Despite the many turns the track is not that severe on front tyres, but the technical layout means the rear tyres have plenty of work to do, especially with providing good side grip through the fast corners where the tyres will reach high temperatures.
Michelin’s range of tyres for the weekend will consist of MICHELIN Power Slicks for the front in three compounds and two different versions for the rear. The three fronts will be identified by a white band for soft, no band for medium and a yellow band for hard, all aimed to provide the riders with the widest choice for their respective machines. The rear tyres will all feature an asymmetric design to cope with the high loads that are placed on the right shoulder of the tyre and will be available in medium (no band) and hard (yellow band), designed to cover the medium severity of abrasion that the track is expected to offer. The Assen circuit is also the most northerly venue on the calendar and its position in the Netherlands also leads to variations in temperatures and weather conditions, so the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres and Inters will also be available to cover all eventualities.
This year’s Dutch TT will also mark another historic moment in the event’s history as it moves its race-day from the traditional Saturday – which was originally the day due to religious reasons, as the track’s initial public road layout had a church on the route – to a Sunday for the first time. Michelin and the MotoGP field will therefore take to the track on Friday for the first day of practice, followed by further practice sessions and qualifying on the Saturday. Sunday’s 26-lap race will get underway at 14.00hrs CEST (13.00hrs BST, 12.00hrs GMT/UTC), when the expected large crowd will give the event an excitable carnival feeling like no other race on the calendar.
Piero Taramasso – Manager of the Two-Wheel Motorsport Group:
“The Dutch TT is one of the most famous races in the world and Assen is right at the top of legendary race-tracks. It is a really unique event and steeped in history, so there is always a special feeling when we go there. The track layout has changed over the years, but the distinctive atmosphere remains the same and on race-day it is a great place to be, although it will feel strange racing on a Sunday this year! The track has a lot of turns and usually very good grip, but this can also make it quite abrasive. The riders can use different lines and trajectories, but at the end we usually get an exciting race at Assen. We need to have tyres that will provide good durability and consistency, as well as coping with a large amount of stress that they will be put under, because they will have to deal with very slow corners, right through to high-speed curves. Assen can also have a big variety in temperatures, so again the tyres will need to cover a wide area of the performance spectrum. We have a selection of tyres available that we believe will work well in all conditions and give the riders the stability and grip they need to race at this iconic track.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Ducati Team arrives at Assen for Dutch TT showdown
The Ducati Team have put the results of the Barcelona race behind them and have now arrived in the Netherlands for the eighth round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship, held this weekend at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, the Assen TT Circuit. The Dutch race continues to be the oldest one on the calendar (the first edition was in fact held in 1949), but this year it will take place for the first time ever on a Sunday, thus radically breaking with the tradition of being run on Saturday. The track has undergone a series of alterations and modifications over the years, but what has remained unchanged is the incredible number of spectators who pack the grandstands and grassy banks of Assen every year.
Andrea Dovizioso, who this weekend will remarkably notch up his 150th start in the premier category, does not see Assen as one of his favourite tracks, but he has stepped onto the podium three times in MotoGP with two thirds in 2011 and 2012 and a runner-up slot in 2014. Last year’s race was rather an unfortunate one, as he reached fifth place but was then slowed by a strange vibration in his GP15 machine and had to settle for an overall twelfth place.
Things were a bit different for Andrea Iannone, who really likes the Dutch circuit. The rider from Vasto scored a good result in the 2015 race, starting from row 2 and moving up into fourth, a position he held until the chequered flag.
The Assen TT weekend programme will start on Friday morning with the first free practice session at 9.55am, while the 26-lap race is scheduled for Sunday at 2pm.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 9th (43 points)
“The post-race Barcelona test was important because we were able to work on improving the Desmosedici GP. At this moment in time we are competitive but we are still missing something to get back up to the front and fight for the podium. I believe that we can do better at Assen than Barcelona because there is more grip and the drop in tyre performance during the race shouldn’t be as marked as in Spain. Even though it’s not one of our favourite tracks, I am confident we can score a good result, but this year it’s impossible to make any predictions before the race, seeing as we don’t know how the tyres Michelin bring will behave here.”
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 10th (41 points)
“In the Monday test after Barcelona, we focussed on working with the new compounds that Michelin brought and I have to say that the tests proved to be interesting. The French company continues to improve the tyre performance, and they are always very reactive. The feeling with the Desmosedici GP is good, so we will see how they perform at Assen. In the Netherlands I won in Moto2 in 2010 and it’s a circuit I like a lot, even though in previous years it’s proved to be a bit of a tough circuit for Ducati.”
The Assen TT Circuit
Assen is the only circuit to have held a round of the Motorcycle World Championship every year since its creation in 1949. It was purpose built for the Dutch TT in 1955, with previous events having been held on public roads. The track is narrow, with rapid changes in direction, and is fully surrounded by grass banks and grandstands, providing excellent viewing for the hundreds of thousands of fanatical spectators who are drawn to the most prestigious event in Dutch motorsport every year. In 1999 the circuit was modified with a new grandstand, control tower, press centre and renovated boxes. Modifications to the Assen circuit over the winter of 2005/6 saw the length of the championship’s longest serving track cut from over 6 km down to 4.555 km and then to its current length of 4.542 km.
Circuit Record: Rossi (Yamaha), 1’32.627 (176.5 km/h) – 2015
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda), 1’33.617 (174.6 km/h) – 2015
Best Pole: Rossi (Yamaha), 1’32.627 (176.5 km/h) – 2015
Top Speed: Iannone (Ducati), 319.8 km/h – 2015
Circuit Length: 4.5 km
Race Distance: 26 laps (118.1 km)
Curves: 18 (6 left, 12 right)
Race Start: 14.00 CET
2015 Results
Podium: 1. Rossi (Yamaha), 2. Marquez (Honda), 3. Lorenzo (Yamaha)
Pole Position: Rossi (Yamaha), 1’32.627 (176.5 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda), 1’33.617 (174.6 km/h)
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 04
Age: 30 (born on March 23rd 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 247 (149 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First Win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Pole Positions: 16 (3 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
Titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)
Andrea Iannone
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 29
Age: 26 (born on August 9th 1989 in Vasto, Italy)
Residence: Vasto (Italy)
Races: 185 (58 x MotoGP, 51 x Moto2, 76 x 125cc)
First GP: 2005 Spanish GP (125cc)
Wins: 12 (8 x Moto2, 4 x 125cc)
First Win: 2008 GP of China (125cc)
Pole Positions: 9 (1 x MotoGP, 5 x Moto2, 3 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2008 GP of Malaysia (125cc)