Rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) will once again start on pole position as continues to shine in the 2019 MotoGP™ World Championship. Can he convert pole number three of the season into a maiden win? We’ll find out soon enough and to get you geared up for the Motul TT Assen, here are 10 things to know:
1. Aged 20 years and 70 days, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) takes the record of the youngest ever rider to have back-to-back pole positions in the premier class, beating the record from of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) who had consecutive poles in Silverstone and Misano back in 2013 at the age of 20 years and 210 days.
2. Quartararo is the second French rider to take back-to-back pole positions along with Christian Sarron who was on pole five times in a row back in 1988.
3. Since 2011, the winner of the MotoGP™ race at the Dutch TT is alternatively a Yamaha and a Honda rider. Last year, Marquez won the race riding a Honda.
4. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has qualified in second place, which is his best qualifying result since he was the second-fastest qualifier in Argentina earlier this year. This is Viñales’ third front-row start of 2019 so far.
5. After passing through Q1, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completes the front row of the grid, which is his best qualifying performance since he was second on the grid in Valencia last year. This is Rins’ second front-row start on what will be the 39th start in the premier class of Grand Prix career.
6. Heading the second row is the Championship leader Marquez, which is the first time he failed to qualify on the front row on the grid since Valencia last year.
7. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) has qualified in fifth place as the second-placed Suzuki rider, which is his best qualifying result of his rookie season.
8. Second in the Championship Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) has qualified in 11th place, which is the second time in 2019 he has failed to qualify within the top 10 along with Austin.
9. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) joined Q2 for the sixth time this year and has qualified in 12th as the highest-placed KTM rider for the second successive time.
10. Missing out on a place in Q2, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) starts from 14th, which is his worst qualifying result in Assen since he was 18th at the Dutch TT in 2006 when he was injured.