Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo says the “train” of riders running line astern in the closing stages of MotoGP qualifying at Assen cost him a front row start, as he plummeted from pole to 10th.
Lorenzo shot to the top of the Q2 timesheets in the closing stages with a 1:33.167s, and was on course for a front row start despite Suzuki's Andrea Iannone demoting him with 50 seconds remaining.
However, a flurry of fast final laps shuffled Lorenzo back to 10, with Iannone and Tech3's Johann Zarco – who led the trail of riders across the line – either side of him.
“Well my perspective is positive because we improve the bike, and I feel pretty good in the qualifying, I was very fast,” he said.
“The problem was almost everyone follow someone, not Zarco, not myself, and we were eighth and 10th.
“The ones who followed someone in the front, they improved four tenths.
“So without this train of follower, I think we could have been on the first row.
“But they improved so much with the help of the rider in front, and I pass from first to 10th.”
Teammate Andrea Dovizioso was among the group of riders, and managed to improve to fourth with a 1:32.870s – 0.020s from the front row, and only just under a tenth from pole.
Pleased with his long-run pace on Friday afternoon and in FP4 prior to qualifying, Dovizioso admits poleman Marc Marquez “looks the best rider”, as well as factory Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi in second and sixth-placed Maverick Vinales.
“I'm happy in fourth. It's always difficult here in Assen, especially when the laptime is close,” Dovizioso stated.
“I'm really happy about the laptime we did, it was really fast, but especially on the [race] pace we are very fast.
“This is positive. In the afternoon yesterday and today we confirm our good speed, but for sure Marc looks the best rider on the track.
“Also the two Yamahas, I think they are very competitive for the race, and there are some other riders who have a good pace.
“But Assen is always a strange race, because the consumption of the tyre is very important, and it's a very fast track.”
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