2012 Assen Moto2: Marquez on Pole

By
Ron Lieback
-

2012-assen-moto2-marquez-on-pole (1)

2012 Moto2 Championship

During an incident-packed qualifying at the Iveco TT Assen in the Moto2 class, it was Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez who took pole position in front of Pol Espargaró and Andrea Iannone.

Márquez, who had played second fiddle to Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Espargaró for all of the preceding practices, pulled a lap of 1.37:133 out of the bag to snatch pole, despite ending up in the gravel at the end of the session. Espargaró finished just over four-tenths behind his rival, yet managed to keep Speed Master’s Iannone at bay a further three and a half tenths down.

GP Team Switzerland’s Randy Krummenacher nearly caused a front-row upset, yet had to settle for a very credible fourth instead. Compatriot Dominique Aegerter, on board his Technomag-CIP machine, lines up next to him in fifth, after finding some impressive form at the Dutch track. Completing the second row is Came IodaRacing Project’s Simone Corsi with his FTR bike, as he looks to get onto the podium for the first time this season.

Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding had a disappointing qualifying for his standards, ending down in seventh, ahead of Tech 3 Racing’s fellow countryman Bradley Smith on his Mistral 610. NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis made it two FTR bikes in the top ten with a solid display, ahead of Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi, who will no doubt look to improve in tomorrow’s race.

There was drama early on as QMMF Racing Team teammates Elena Rosell and Anthony West crashed, as the female Spanish rider tried to avoid West as he slid off track. Blusens Avintia’s Julián Simón following suit shortly after, and with 35 minutes left of the session, JiR Moto2’s Johann Zarco had his second crash of the day, with Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti and Kiefer Racing’s Max Neukirchner also crashing out in the latter stages of qualifying. None of the riders were seriously hurt in the incidents.

2012 Assen Moto2 Qualifying Results:

Pos.Num.RiderNationTeamBikeKm/hTimeGap 1st/Prev.
1.93Marc MARQUEZSPATeam CatalunyaCaixa RepsolSuter252.61’37.133
2.40Pol ESPARGAROSPAPons 40 HP TuentiKalex250.81’37.5880.455 / 0.455
3.29Andrea IANNONEITASpeed MasterSpeed Up248.61’37.9560.823 / 0.368
4.4Randy KRUMMENACHERSWIGP Team SwitzerlandKalex252.91’38.2791.146 / 0.323
5.77Dominique AEGERTERSWITechnomag-CIPSuter250.21’38.3491.216 / 0.070
6.3Simone CORSIITACame IodaRacing ProjectFTR253.81’38.4001.267 / 0.051
7.45Scott REDDINGGBRMarc VDS Racing TeamKalex252.61’38.4011.268 / 0.001
8.38Bradley SMITHGBRTech 3 RacingTech 3248.21’38.4141.281 / 0.013
9.15Alex DE ANGELISRSMNGM Mobile Forward RacingFTR250.81’38.4831.350 / 0.069
10.12Thomas LUTHISWIInterwetten-PaddockSuter253.11’38.4881.355 / 0.005
11.80Esteve RABATSPAPons 40 HP TuentiKalex260.11’38.5111.378 / 0.023
12.36Mika KALLIOFINMarc VDS Racing TeamKalex255.31’38.5251.392 / 0.014
13.14Ratthapark WILAIROTTHAThai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2Suter253.81’38.5731.440 / 0.048
14.30Takaaki NAKAGAMIJPNItaltrans Racing TeamKalex251.51’38.6361.503 / 0.063
15.88Ricard CARDUSSPAArguiñano Racing TeamAJR247.91’38.6421.509 / 0.006
16.44Roberto ROLFOITATechnomag-CIPSuter248.41’38.6651.532 / 0.023
17.71Claudio CORTIITAItaltrans Racing TeamKalex248.41’38.8991.766 / 0.234
18.76Max NEUKIRCHNERGERKiefer RacingKalex248.61’38.9501.817 / 0.051
19.5Johann ZARCOFRAJIR Moto2Motobi249.01’38.9961.863 / 0.046
20.49Axel PONSSPAPons 40 HP TuentiKalex248.91’39.1912.058 / 0.195
21.24Toni ELIASSPAMapfre Aspar TeamSuter254.21’39.2002.067 / 0.009
22.63Mike DI MEGLIOFRAS/Master Speed UpSpeed Up251.71’39.2072.074 / 0.007
23.60Julian SIMONSPABlusens AvintiaSuter249.41’39.2572.124 / 0.050
24.19Xavier SIMEONBELTech 3 RacingTech 3245.61’39.3022.169 / 0.045
25.18Nicolas TEROLSPAMapfre Aspar TeamSuter250.91’39.5842.451 / 0.282
26.8Gino REAGBRFederal Oil Gresini Moto2Suter252.31’39.6282.495 / 0.044
27.7Alexander LUNDHSWECresto Guide MZ RacingMZ-RE Honda245.21’39.9412.808 / 0.313
28.95Anthony WESTAUSQMMF Racing TeamMoriwaki248.41’40.3333.200 / 0.392
29.72Yuki TAKAHASHIJPNNGM Mobile Forward RacingFTR252.71’40.6753.542 / 0.342
30.50Damian CUDLINAUSDesguaces La Torre SAGBimota244.71’40.7463.613 / 0.071
31.57Eric GRANADOBRAJIR Moto2Motobi242.01’40.9703.837 / 0.224
32.10Marco COLANDREASWISAG TeamFTR249.21’41.2764.143 / 0.306
33.82Elena ROSELLSPAQMMF Racing TeamMoriwaki247.81’42.2735.140 / 0.997

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Ron Lieback
One of the few moto journalists based on the East Coast, Ron Lieback joined the motorcycle industry as a freelancer in 2007 and is currently Editor at Large at Ultimate Motorcycling. He is also the author of 365 to Vision: Modern Writer's Guide (How to Produce More Quality Writing in Less Time).

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