MotoGP Assen FP1: Maverick Vinales leads FP1?

Maverick Vinales leads the way in FP1, unexpected?

Both Maverick Vinales and Pol Espargaro have fired some strong comments against their relevant employers ahead of this weekend with both riders opting to run their teammates settings. So where are these riders in the FP1 session you may ask? P1 and P2, work that one out.

Right don’t get too excited, Vinales finished last weekends MotoGP race in last place, opting to drop back and prove to his team that he could put in fast lap times before exploding at Yamaha saying they are not respecting him. Leading up to the Assen weekend he made a statement saying he is going to copy his 22-year-old’s settings exactly to see if that will do anything, apparently it’s done something as he takes P1 in the FP1 session.

Another rider who has been disappointed with their team is Pol Espargaro who confirmed he will also use teammate Marc Marquez’s settings to see if this will aid him, once again this seems to be working sitting in second place behind Vinales.

Nearly half a second behind Vinales is Alex Rins, Rins took his first race finish in five races last time in Sachsenring ending his awful recent run of results, third in FP1 is a strong way to open your race weekend and it’s likely he will battle for the top positions as the weekend continues, he leads Quartararo in P4 with Zarco following up in P5 a massive 0.800 off Vinales. The times are hugely spread apart this weekend in the MotoGP class which is very unusual given we are normally used to seeing 20 riders within a second of the leader, not 10.

All the manufacturers performed strongly in the first session of the weekend with all 6 finishing in the top 7, Danilo Petrucci clocking in a P6 time and Aleix Espargaro finishing in P7. Espargaro led the race in Sachsenring proving the Aprilia is working incredibly well at the moment, just hurry up and get a podium Aleix we are desperate to see it, his teammate Lorenzo Savadori was the 10th fastest rider meaning both Noale machines were in the top 10.

Ducati already are not having a fun time, their quickest rider was Zarco in P5 but the next fastest Ducati’s were the factory boys who could only muster up P11 and P12 with Miller leading Bagnaia, the tight corners of the circuit do not benefit the Ducati whatsoever.

Full results –