Fabio Quartararo set a new Assen lap record to secure an emphatic second-consecutive pole position for the Dutch TT, leading the factory Yamaha of Maverick Vinales.
Quartararo, who led three of the four practice sessions prior to qualifying, set an incredible 1:32.017 to not only secure a new lap record but the third pole of his eye-catching rookie season in MotoGP.
Maverick Vinales ran the Frenchman close all weekend, having led FP2 and overnight as a result, but missed out by a slender margin as the flag fell on qualifying.
Valentino Rossi was forced to take part in Q1 after his fastest lap in FP3 was deleted post-session due to a track limit infringement. This relegated him outside of the automatic Q2 starters, promoting the Suzuki of Joan Mir in his place.
The second Suzuki of Rins came out of the starting blocks fastest in the early stages of Q1, the one-time MotoGP winner posting a 1:32.797, over half-a-second faster than second placed Francesco Bagnaia.
Rins then managed to shave 0.087 from his own benchmark to extend his advantage, shortly before Pol Espargaro dragged a lap time from his KTM to steal second from Bagnaia in the closing seconds.
Rossi struggled though and could manage just 4th in the session, meaning he will line up down in 14th for Sunday’s race. Andrea Iannone also disappointed, the Aprilia man unable to continue his impressive Friday speed and qualifying just 20th, five places behind injured teammate Aleix Espargaro.
Rins used his Q1 experience to bang in a blistering 1:32.461 on his first Q2 effort, which remained fastest as the first runs came to a conclusion.
Quartararo and Vinales looked set to move clear of the Suzuki on their best laps, but lost time throughout the second-half of the lap and slotted in behind Rins in second and third just 0.053 and 0.194 in arrears respectively.
Vinales then posted an incredible 1:32.157 to move three-tenths clear of Rins at the head of the field, despite losing time behind Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso during his lap.
Not to be denied though was Quartararo, who then snatched provisional pole with a 1:32.017 with just under a minute of the session remaining.
The Petronas SRT pilot looked set to post the first ever sub 1:32 lap on his final attempt, but lost time in the final sector and failed to improve.
It didn’t matter however as his previous lap was enough to hold on to pole, 0.140 clear of Vinales factory Yamaha.
Rins managed an impressive third despite having to endure Q1, while Marquez survived a wild moment at Turn 1 to secure the fourth fastest time. Mir made the most of his Q2 elevation to take his best ever MotoGP qualifying result in fifth.
LCR Honda riders Cal Crutchlow and Takaaki Nakagami had a strong qualifying as they took sixth and eighth respectively, sandwiching Danilo Petrucci’s factory Ducati GP19.
Franco Morbidelli on the second SRT satellite Yamaha was ninth quickest while Jack Miller rounded out the top ten on his Pramac-run Ducati, just ahead of a struggling Dovizioso on the second of the factory Ducati machines and Espargaro's KTM RC16.
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