MotoGP – The Dutch Grand Prix 125 lap-based –

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The Grand Prix of the Netherlands 125 lap by lap

MotoGP - The Dutch Grand Prix 125 lap-based -

Sounding the death knell of mid-season for the 125 plateau, Assen also poses as a justice of the peace for the leaders: Magic Mike arrives with 23 points ahead of Simone Corsi, but the Grands Prix cathedral can hold many surprises… Round by round !

Ending a hectic month of June with no less than four races, the Drenthe circuit provides pilots with its 4.555 km, its 17 turns, its fast sequences and above all … its capricious weather !

Alternately rainy and mild on Thursday for the first practice sessions, the Batavian track does not make the task of the 35 boys involved any easier: Simone Corsi, Mike di Meglio’s rival, however manages to play with these conditions to s’ interfere in the provisional front row, a position he will keep once the Friday qualifying session has been contested: the track having cooled down considerably, no driver will beat the time of n ° 24.

Lots of falls during this qualifying session: that of Randy Krummenacher, Esteve Rabat and Mike di Meglio in his last lap, but especially the one involving Stefan Bradl and Lorenzo Zanetti at the end of the last chicane.

Simone Corsi will therefore start from pole position ahead of Bradley Smith, Joan Olive, Mike di Meglio, Sandro Cortese and Scot Redding. Jules Cluzel qualified 27th, Alexis Masbou 28th and Louis Rossi 34th.

Zoom on…

Scott Redding, the youngest Grand Prix winner. Only 15 years old since January 4, Scott Redding achieved a feat at Donington last Sunday, winning at home his National Grand Prix (read): "it’s a new record, but I want to beat others and be on the podium again this year !", ignites the pilot from Quedgeley at the end of the first day of testing at Assen. The young Englishman sets the best time of the second qualifying session the next day on a dry but cold track, which will not allow him to ” improve Corsi’s time.

The race !

Departure : All the pilots have their eyes riveted on the sky and … the tires of the neighboring motorbike! The weather is indeed threatening and the gums waltz in full swing during the starting procedure … When the lights go out, Bradley Smith is the first to appear in front of Joan Olive, Simone Corsi, Sandro Cortese, Sergio Gadea, Nicolas Terol, Raffaele de Rosa and Marc Marquez.

Big collective fall at the end of a slow left leading to the two Loncin drivers: Alexis Masbou will suffer a passage through the gravel but his teammate, Jules Cluzel, falls violently, just like the Dutch Joey Litjens.

Sandro Cortese passes Simone Corsi thanks to a carefully prepared interior at the entrance to the chicane G.T Bocht.

2nd round : Bradley Simth is already a second ahead of Joan Olive who precedes Cortese, Corsi, Gadea, Terol and De Rosa. Mike di Meglio only appears in eleventh place, victim of a bad start … Sergio Gadea sneaks under the fairing of Cortese’s machine, immediately imitated by Rosa, but Cortese fights and the Spaniard does not fails to pass !

The joy of being passed third will only be short-lived for Segio Gadea, since betrayed by his mechanics, he must let the peloton and his hopes slip away! In rage, the n ° 33 hits his tank while all these opponents overtake him…

3rd round : The Englishman at number 38 continues to increase his lead and in just two laps, he has already stuck a real boulevard to Joan Olive and Sandro Cortese! Marc Marquez has moved back to fifth position: the 15-year-old Spanish (!), Weighing 43 kg (!!), contains sizes like Nicolas Terol, Gabor Talmacsi and Effren Vasquez !

Mike di Meglio appears to be in slight difficulty and only points to twelfth place behind the brilliant Englishman Scott Redding. The two pilots precede Bradl, Koyama, Bonsey, Gadea who managed to start again and Bianco. Sergio Gadea will however have to abdicate a few turns further: his official Aprilia no longer responds … Louis Rossi makes an encouraging start to the race by moving up to 26th place.

3rd, 4th and 5th rounds : Randy Krumenacher misses at the entrance of the chicane determining the straight line of the pits and crash. Smith’s Aprilia Polaris World continues on its own, far ahead of Joan Olive, Nicolas Terol, Marc Marquez, Sandro Cortese and Effren Vasquez.

The current leader of the championship seems to have been jostled by another driver and now only appears in sixteenth position … Louis Rossi precedes Alexis Masbou in 25th place, while Jules Cluzel, courageously left after his spectacular sun, last point.

Marc Marquez is a bit too cautious on the entries of fast turns at the back of the circuit (traces of humidity still dot the track) and is passed by Effren Vasquez, income very strong at the cost of incredible braking, then by Sandro Cortese.

6th and 7th rounds : The peloton, considerably stretched, approaches this new lap with apprehension: a few drops of rain appear, compromising the smooth running of the laps to come…

Mike di Meglio is struggling with his rival Corsi who has demoted after a slight excursion: the n ° 63 is struggling under braking and his corner entries are surprisingly insecure. Simone Corsi takes advantage of it quickly and taxes the Toulouse driver on braking !

Bradley Simth continues his irresistible ascent to victory, being 2.4 seconds ahead of Joan Olive! Nicolas Terol is giving everything to stay in touch, but the 19-year-old Spaniard is already several lengths behind. Behind his Aprilia Jack and Jones always points the talented Effren Vasquez (author of the fastest lap in the race), then Cortese and Marc Marquez.

8th and 9th rounds : Joan Olive drops in a singular fashion and passes by Nicolas Terol who did not ask for so much! The official Derbi of the 23-year-old Spaniard now finds himself battling Effren Vasquez and Sandro Cortese. This one overflows his compatriot at the entrance of the pif-paf and begins the following loop in the escapement of Joan Olive…

Simone Corsi moved up to tenth position, just behind reigning world champion Gabor Talmacsi. Mike di Meglio is still stuck in the second half of the field, losing big points to his rivals lap after lap…

Effren Vasquez gave the best of himself braking a short straight and managed to regain the advantage over Cortese. The rain intensified, causing some confusion for Bradley Smith despite his lead of more than three seconds … Started on slick tires for a race declared dry, all the pilots could be forced to resume a start with machines on tires rain if the race management deemed it appropriate: a boon for some, a disaster for others !

10th round :

Andrea Iannone made a breathtaking comeback while taking all the risks, even forcing some drivers to straighten up slightly during her interior, to say the least manly! The n ° 29 is now just behind Simone Corsi !

Incredible rebound at the head of the race: losing the front on a track that has become tricky, Bradley Smith once again makes a mistake, depriving his compatriots of seeing the first English double victory in nearly three decades! Marc Marquez and Effren Vasquez also bear the brunt of the persistent humidity of the track, but fortunately for the three drivers, the red flag is waved by the marshals who consider it too dangerous to let the race continue on slick tires. A new start for five short laps will therefore be given by resuming the starting grid established by qualifying..

Second race !

Departure : On an almost dry track, Bradley Smith achieved the best takeoff but was overtaken by Nicolas Terol on the first braking. A few cables away, Olive, Cortese, Corsi, Rabat and Talmacsi. Mike di Meglio is only in 16th position.

2nd round : Joan Olive steals the lead from Terol thanks to the play of aspiration in the short straight. The two Spaniards are ahead of Sandro Cortese, Gabor Talmacsi who seems much more at ease than in the first race, Esteve Rabat, Bradley Smith, Andrea Iannone and Stefan Bradl.

On the French side, Mike di Meglio overtook three drivers while Jules Cluzel continues to lead Louis Rossi (22nd and 23rd respectively) and Alexis Masbou is only in 28th place.

Esteve Rabat, Simone Corsi and Gabor Talmacsi get the better of Nicolas Terol who loses three places in two turns! The current world champion does not hesitate to elbow Corsi to try to pass him at the entrance of the first chicane, but the Italian resists and keeps his second place! Terol overtakes Rabat from a daring exterior at the entrance of the pif-paf which determines the straight line of the pits.

3rd round : Joan Olive continues to lead the race with Corsi, Talmacsi, Terol and Rabat on his heels! Sandro Cortese then leads Iannone, Smith, Bradl, Bianco and Di Meglio.

Talmacsi attacked inside Corsi and the official Aprilia managed to come back to second for a few turns: Corsi responded with unstoppable braking when entering a left and recovered! Esteve Rabat in turn passes Nicolas Terol in the fast sequences.

4th round : Mike di Meglio is still only in tenth position, while his rival for the title is currently second: if the overall positions do not change, the Toulouse’s beautiful lead over Corsi would melt like snow in the sun…

Last round : Joan Olive still contains Corsi and Talamacsi in struggle with Rabat. Smith and Terol are a few lengths ahead of Cortese, Iannone, Di Meglio, Bianco and Bradl.

Simone Corsi is placed at the aspiration of Olive in the short straight line of the second part of the Batavian track, but Talmacsi and Rabat both have the same idea and it is finally the KTM of the Spaniard that turns into head to the first next left at the cost of sustained braking !

No. 12 now precedes Talmacsi, Corsi and Olive. But Esteve Rabat misses at the entrance of the last chicane and Gabor Talmacsi immediately takes the opportunity to take the reins of the pack and win the race ahead of Joan Olive, Simone Corsi, Sandro Cortese, Bradley Smith, Esteve Rabat and Mike di Meglio who set the best time on the last lap.

Overall, Mike still leads ahead of Corsi, but his lead is reduced to 16 points. Behind the two pilots, the hole is made on Joan Olive (), Gabor Talmacsi (), Nicolas Terol () and Stefan Bradl ().

They are explained:

Gabor Talmacsi (1st) : "To be honest, I was very disappointed at the end of the first race because I was really not fast. Then when I knew we were going to do five laps, I thought I had a chance. I was slow in the first part of the race, but something happened afterwards. We changed our settings a bit before the second start. I’m happy because I didn’t expect this result and needed points !"

Joan Olive (2nd) : "The race was difficult. The first one was off to a good start, then we had problems with the engine and I was not very fast. In the second we made some changes and the engine was running better. I was overtaken in the straight line and it disappointed me after leading the race … It was difficult to overtake in the last corner, I did my best to win, but in the end second place is a very good result".

Simone Corsi (3rd) : "I’m very happy, although it was important to win today … On the last lap I tried to overtake Joan in the straight line, but the bike didn’t have enough power. I would like to thank the whole team for their work !"

Race classification 125 – Assen
1- G. TALMACSI 6- E. RABAT 11- S. BIANCO
2- J. OLIVE 7- Mr. DI MEGLIO 12- S. BRADL
3- S. CORSI 8- A. IANNONE 13- T. KOYAMA
4- S. CORTESE 9- N. TEROL 14- Mr. RANSEDER
5- B. SMITH 10- R. DE ROSA 15- H. VAN DEN BERG
18th: J.CLUZEL. 23rd: A. MASBOU. 24th: L. ROSSI

Alexandre BARDIN – Photos DR and F. KIRN

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