More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Zaccone fastest out the blocks on Friday

The points leader pulls two tenths clear of Granado at the TT Circuit Assen, with Tulovic completing the top three on Day 1

Friday, 25 June 2021

Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) was the man to beat on Day 1 of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup’s first visit to the TT Circuit Assen, the points leader making it a clean sweep as he topped FP1 and FP2 to end the day two tenths clear of Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing) on the combined timesheets. The Brazilian was also consistently fast, second in the morning and afternoon, with Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) moving up in FP2 to complete the top three overall.

FP1

Zaccone started the day by gaining the upper hand on Granado by just 0.083, the two rising to the top by the end of FP1. It was the first time the Italian has been top in a Free Practice session; a feat he repeated in the afternoon to make it a slightly ominous day for the rest. Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) was third fastest, another less-than-a-tenth separating the Swiss rider from the Brazilian as the Cathedral promised close and delivered early.

Reigning Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) was fourth, 0.047 off Aegerter, with rookie Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) locking out the top five. The Japanese rider says Assen is one of his favourite tracks, and he started the weekend impressing.

There was one crash as Andrea Mantovani (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) went down, rider ok.

FP2

Despite rain for the Grand Prix classes, track conditions had improved enough by MotoE™ FP2 to allow the field to put on slicks and improve too, and that Zaccone did. A 1:42.809 made the Italian the only man under the 1:43 barrier, with a 0.239 gap back to Granado as the Brazilian also continued to make a habit of going fast.

After ending FP1 in sixth, Tulovic moved up to third overall with his FP2 lap, another couple of tenths in arrears but with a sizeable gap in hand as the top three pulled clear of the rest by just over four tenths.

Mantovani crashed in FP2, rider ok, as did and was home hero Jasper Iwema (Pons Racing 40).

Zaccone leads Granado leads Tulovic, with 0.411 the gap back to Hikari Okubo in fourth. The Japanese rider has closer company from Dominique Aegerter 0.075 further back, with Jordi Torres less than a tenth off the Swiss rider to end the day in sixth.

Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) ends Friday in P7, a few tenths off Torres, with 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE), Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) completing the top ten.

Tune in for E-Pole on Saturday from 16:10 (GMT +2) as the grid gets decided, before the lights go out for the race at 15:30 on Sunday!

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Fernandez vs Fernandez on Friday

Augusto beats Raul to the top, with Gardner a few tenths down in third on Day 1 at Assen

Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took to the top on Day 1 of the Motul TT Assen, the Spaniard quickest in the morning as he put together an impressive run of fast laps and then proving quick again in the afternoon in the rain, 0.034 off the top. The combined timesheets come from FP1 however, so it’s Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) second quickest overall and his teammate, Championship leader Remy Gardner, completing the top three on Friday.

FP1

Augusto Fernandez was absolutely flying in FP1, the 2019 Assen winner quickest for the latter half of the session and only going faster and faster. He was 0.143 clear of Raul Fernandez by the flag, the latter Fernandez gaining ground but not enough. Championship leader Gardner was third quickest, but 0.388 off the top.

Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) and Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) completed the top five.¡ after solid starts to the weekend for both.

Home hero Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) both had a technical issue each, and Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) crashed, rider ok.

FP2

The afternoon was affected by the aforementioned rain, with the track drying but not reaching fully dry by the flag. Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) was quickest as he struck late, denying Augusto Fernandez by 0.034. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) was third, half a second off the top, with Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2), Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) for close company, the gap half a tenth between each.

Navarro, Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) crashed in the afternoon, riders ok.

The combined timesheets mirror FP1 following the change in the weather, so it’s Augusto Fernandez ahead of Raul Fernandez ahead of Remy Gardner in the top three, followed by Navarro and Corsi.

Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) took sixth ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), with Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) just another 0.015 further back. Joe Roberts and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) round out the top ten, ahead of more good progress from Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) in P11.

Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Sam Lowes and Aron Canet round out the fastest 14 and are therefore the riders currently set to move straight through to Q2, but FP3 offers another strike on Saturday morning… weather permitting. That kicks off at 10:55 (GMT +2), before qualifying from 15:10. Don’t miss it!

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Clean sweep: Viñales fastest in both sessions on Friday

The Yamaha rider – and most recent MotoGP™ winner at Assen – heads the timesheets from Pol Espargaro and Oliveira

Friday, 25 June 2021

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) is back on top, the Spaniard making an early statement at the Motul TT Assen to go fastest in FP1 and FP2 as Top Gun shot first on Friday. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) was second quickest, 0.111 in arrears, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) keeping his momentum in third on Day 1. The day was largely dry until the afternoon, when rain put paid to improvements in the latter half of FP2.

Another headline grabber was a huge highside for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in the afternoon, although the Spaniard walked away unscathed and headed back to the box.

FP1

Viñales topped FP1 convincingly and consistently, and he did so just ahead of Pol Espargaro, who also impressed in the opening session of the weekend. The two were a tenth apart, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) moving up to third late on, but the Suzuki man was 0.429 off the top.

Rins demoted Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to fourth, 0.561 off Viñales, with Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) slotting into fifth. The Frenchman was eight tenths off the top and was the first in a gaggle of riders packed close together, with Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and an impressive Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completing the top ten, covered by a couple of tenths.

The only crasher was Garrett Gerloff (Petronas Yamaha SRT) as he begins his first full weekend in MotoGP™, the Texan taking a tumble at Turn 7.

FP2

Viñales was again the fastest man on track, with a tenth and a half in hand over Oliveira before spits of rain became a downpour at the TT Circuit Assen. That left Quartararo third in the session and Marc Marquez fourth, before the aforementioned highside saw the number 93 crash out from behind reigning Champion Joan Mir. Mir completed the top five, ahead of Zarco, Rins, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Aleix Espargaro and Pol Espargaro.

Rins was 0.252 off Zarco, but from the number 42 Suzuki down to Danilo Petrucci in 11th was less than two tenths in another tight pack.

Once the rain came down there was a lull in track action for a while, but once it was fully wet many headed back out to get a taster, with sun not guaranteed for the rest of the weekend.

Combined timesheets
Viñales and Pol Espargaro remain the fastest duo as their FP1 times couldn’t be bettered, with Oliveira the man to gain big in FP2, slotting into a bit of space on the combined timesheets. His 1:33.400 was 0.091 better than Quartararo, who improved in the afternoon but remained fourth. Rins’ FP1 best slots the Suzuki rider into fifth.

Before his highside, Marc Marquez put himself into sixth overall ahead of Mir, with Zarco also improving in FP2 but the man second in the standings only taking P8 on Day 1.

Petrucci takes ninth ahead of Aleix Espargaro completing the top ten, both of whom went quicker in FP1. So did Nakagami and he’s the first man currently set to miss out on an automatic place in Q2, down in P11 on Friday, ahead of Miller, Savadori, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing).

Will the rain return on Saturday morning? Or can the field expect some more dry track time in FP3 to crack into that all-important top ten? Find out from 9:55 (GMT +2), before qualifying for the premier class from 14:10.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Suzuki fends off Binder by less than a tenth on Friday

The Japanese rider and the South African head the timesheets on Day 1, with Foggia completing the top three

Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) begins the Motul TT Assen as the fastest man in Moto3™, the Japanese rider taking over at the top in FP2 after an impressive lap just three and a bit tenths outside the all-time lap record. Rain then put paid to the chance to improve, with Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) ending the day just 0.089 off Suzuki and Dennis Foggia’s (Leopard Racing) FP1 best putting him in third overall.

FP1

Foggia struck late and held off an even later charge from Binder to go fastest in the morning, with just 0.070 splitting the two and then a little clear air back to Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) in third, the latter despite an off. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) was fourth quickest, with Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) locking out the top five despite an early crash for the Argentinean.

Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) also crashed, before Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had the final fall of the session. The Spaniard was flicked skywards and headed to the Medical Centre; but rider ok and declared fit.

FP2

Suzuki was inside Foggia’s FP1 best early on, and the Japanese rider was still on a roll before suddenly highsiding out, rider ok. The promised up and down weather of Assen had struck, and no one was then able to improve – leaving Suzuki top and Binder once again incredibly close to it in the afternoon.

Foggia was third but slower than his FP1 best, with Migno slotting into fourth after a day of two good halves from the Italian. Jaume Masia dug deep to bounce back from his huge crash in FP1 to complete the top five.

Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) slid out at Turn 1 with little drama, rider ok, and the number 37 also had some extremely close company from Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) as the Turk got close to some contact when following him but no harm done.

Suzuki and Binder lead the way thanks to their FP2 bests, with Foggia in third from FP1. The Leopard Racing rider had some breathing space on the timesheets but heads a group of riders who all went faster in the morning: Migno, Fenati, Rodrigo, Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) and Acosta. Masia slots into ninth, the number 5 going faster in the afternoon, with John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing the top ten thanks to his FP1 best.

Stefano Nepa, second in the standings Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), Sachsenring podium finisher Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and rookie Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) are the final four currently set to move straight through to Q2. Will the skies remain dry for FP3? We’ll find out on Saturday morning from 9:00, before Moto3™ qualifying from 12:35.