P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Fabio Quartararo secures pole for the Dutch MotoGP, outpacing Francesco Bagnaia in a thrilling final sector shootout.
Fabio Quartararo secured his 20th premier-class pole position at Assen, narrowly beating Francesco Bagnaia by 0.028s in a thrilling Dutch qualifying session. Despite being behind in the first two sectors of his fastest lap, Quartararo surged ahead in the final sectors to claim pole.
The Monster Yamaha rider’s successful qualifying effort marks a potential return to form after tough races at Aragon and Mugello, following strong showings at Silverstone and through the weekend at Assen. Quartararo aims for a strong result in the sprint race and Sunday’s main event at the beloved Dutch circuit.
Defending Assen winner Bagnaia, now 110 points behind championship leader Marc Marquez, sees this as his best weekend of the year, aiming to capitalize on his improved feeling and performance. Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez completed the front row in third, opting for a familiar setup after some struggles in earlier sessions.
Despite nursing injuries from Friday crashes, Marquez qualified fourth, leading the championship by 40 points over Alex, with Bagnaia further back. Quartararo, Bagnaia, and others demonstrated peak performance with their fastest laps, extracting maximum potential from their bikes.
