Andrea Dovizioso set pole position on a drying Assen track ahead of Valentino Rossi and Scott Redding. Jorge Lorenzo would only start P10 while Dani Pedrosa did not even make it to Q2.
Q1: The track was still damp from the rain falling earlier in the day despite stopping. The surprise of the week-end was Dani Pedrosa having to go through Q1 before going to Q2 after crashing in FP4. With seven minutes to go, Hector Barbera fell to the ground in T10. Jack Miller also fell at this place and Michele Piro, stepping in for Loris Baz, fell as well.
Pedrosa was really struggling, only P4 before starting his last lap. On his last lap, Pol Espargaro set the fastest time and saved the qualifying session of Tech 3. Yonny Hernandez also got to Q2. Barbera, Smith, Bautista, Pedrosa, Laverty, Bradl, Miller, Rabat and Pirro complete the back of the grid.
Q2: Jorge Lorenzo went out as soon as the lights went green. Maverick Viñales was the first one to fall only two minutes into the session. Lorenzo’s first flying lap was in 1:51’ when Pol Espargaro was in 1:48. With nine minutes to go, Marc Marquez fell to the ground before setting a flying lap. He tried to rejoin the box while Viñales managed to come back to the pits.
Pol Espargaro, who alsmost did not make it to Q2, was leading after the first stint. The track was drying more and more while Andrea Dovizioso set the fastest time with six minutes to go. As it stopped raining, some riders thought about putting on intermediary tyres, Andrea Iannone being the first one. Marquez, however, decided to stay on wet tyres.
Valentino Rossi got out with intermediary tyres as well for the last 3 minutes. Lorenzo did not seem able to match the pace of the outsider leaders. With one minute and a half to go, Pol Espargaro set provisional pole position. On his first flying lap, Marquez set the seventh fastest lap. Dovizioso managed to go faster than Rossi while Marquez could not do better than P4.
Dovizioso set his fourth pole position in career ahead of Rossi and Scott Redding who scored his best qualifying in career. Marquez, Crutchlow and Hernandez complete the second row. Pol and Aleix Espargaro were P7 and P8. Iannone scored P9 but would start last on the grid. Petrucci Lorenzo and Viñales completed the top 12.
