2022 Dutch MotoGP, Assen Circuit – Warm-up Results

* Rookie

Official Assen MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 31.504s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 32.869s (2021)

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro set the pace during a dry morning warm-up for the 2022 Dutch MotoGP at Assen.

With riders still undecided on race tyre selection, after missing most of Friday due to rain, those that didn’t try the hard rear in FP4 did so this morning and vice versa for the soft option.

The medium rear has already been discarded by most, but could be the favoured option for the front.

Aleix Espargaro, who will start fifth on the grid, had been keen to try the more stable hard rear tyre after already setting a competitive FP4 pace on the soft.

The Aprilia star, sure to keep second in the world championship, whatever happens this afternoon, duly topped the 20-minute warm-up with the hard tyre, as also used by title leader Fabio Quartararo and Espargaro’s team-mate Maverick Vinales to complete the top three.

Jorge Martin, who will join Francesco Bagnaia and Quartararo on this afternoon’s front row, was the fastest rider on the soft rear, followed by Luca Marini on the hard, then Jack Miller on the soft.

Just as last weekend in Germany, Miller will need to serve a Long Lap penalty in today’s race, this time for a near-miss with Maverick Vinales in qualifying.

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Franco Morbidelli will also have a Long Lap penalty for the race after twice riding slowly on the racing line in Friday practice, after having received a verbal warning for the same offence at Sachsenring.

Fabio Quartararo starts the Dutch TT at Assen, the final event before the MotoGP summer break, holding a 34-point lead over Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and 61-point advantage over Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco.

That means, whatever happens on Sunday, the Yamaha star will remain at the head of the world championship table during the holidays, but the young Frenchman would no doubt love to close the opening ‘half’ with a repeat of last year’s Assen victory.

While Quartararo has built up breathing room at the top, the likes of Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini (-72 points) and especially factory Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia have suffered badly in recent rounds and will be desperate to steady the ship with a podium return in The Netherlands.

A dark horse could be Espargaro’s team-mate Maverick Vinales, who finished second to then team-mate Quartararo (from pole position) at Assen last season and arrives fresh from his best race showing on the RS-GP, until hitting ride height problems in Germany.

Meanwhile, the notorious Assen weather is set to keep riders and teams on their toes throughout the weekend.

Friday 24 June

8am-8.40am – Moto3 Free Practice 1

8.55am-9.40am – MotoGP Free Practice 1

9.55am-10.35am – Moto2 Free Practice 1

12.15pm -12.55pm – Moto3 Free Practice 2

1.10pm-1.55pm – MotoGP Free Practice 2

2.10pm-2.50pm – Moto2 Free Practice 2

Saturday 25 June

8am-8.40am – Moto3 Free Practice 3

8.55am-9.40am – MotoGP Free Practice 3

9.55am-10.35am – Moto2 Free Practice 3

11.35am-11.50am – Moto3 Qualifying 1

12pm-12.15pm – Moto3 Qualifying 2

12.30-1pm – MotoGP Free Practice 4

1.10pm-1.25pm – MotoGP Qualifying 1

1.35pm-1.50pm – MotoGP Qualifying 2

2.10pm-2.25pm – Moto2 Qualifying 1

2.35pm-2.50pm – Moto2 Qualifying 2

Sunday 26 June

8am-8.10am – Moto3 warm-up

8.20am-8.30am – Moto2 warm-up

8.40am-9am – MotoGP warm-up

10am – Moto3 race

11.20am – Moto2 race

1pm – MotoGP race