Rookies points leader Piqueras blitzes Assen Qualifying

Half a second faster than nearest rival and fellow Spaniard Màximo Quiles, Angel Piqueras says he can go even quicker as he looks to wrap up the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at Assen.

Finland’s Rico Salmela is 3rd quickest ahead of another 15-year-old, Argentina’s Marco Morelli.

16-year-old Piqueras looked faultless on his way to Pole while 15-year-old Quiles fell at the start of the session and had to restart with a slightly damaged KTM.

Piqueras perfect
“I was thinking that Maximo could be the Pole man, you know. But I beat him and I’m happy.”

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“I did a crazy lap and I’m very pleased that it worked out. I was pushing the maximum to do that.”

“I am very happy to have Pole because the bike is OK but I want to improve some details and I think it is possible to go even faster.”

Quiles comeback
“I’m a bit angry because I wanted to take Pole position but I was pushing so hard. The handlebar was damaged from my crash at the start of the session. It was pushed in.”

“Still I was very very fast, I was going on my own all the time. I needed a reference but I didn’t have one. I had a rhythm but no slipstream.”

“The good thing is that I am fast even on my own so tomorrow I will try and go.”

Salmela learns fast
“That was quite good, after missing FP1, I crashed with Alberto Ferrandez and I only made one lap. So I didn’t know the track so well so I had to go and learn it in FP2.”

“Then in Qualifying, I tried to make some fast laps. It was not so bad, then on the last lap I was going quite well, improving quite a lot but in the last sector some other riders were in front so I’ didn’t get the best time.”

“Still I am happy with this and happy with the bike set-up, we changed it after FP2 and I liked it.”

Morelli loving Assen
“Yeah, that was good, today I feel really really good. I’ve never been here before but right from the first Free Practice, I enjoyed it.”

“The only problem I have had is the rear tyre sliding through the double corners. 3 and 4, 10 and 11, these corners I don’t feel so good. The others, very good.”

“I will certainly change the sprocket for tomorrow, with the slipstream I need the higher gearing.”

Casey O’Gorman geared up for 5th
“In the beginning of Qualifying I struggled a lot because I put on gearing to run in a group with the slipstream and everyone kept duckin-an-divin and going into the pits and couldn’t find the tow I needed with that gearing,” explained the 15-year-old Irishman.

“I was down in 16th at one point, but then on one lap I had a group in front and I went after them, they backed off into the final chicane I just passed everyone and the lap was good enough for the 2nd row. That’s good and I think matches my best Qualifying this year.”

“The longer gearing is better for the race, in the group you hit the limiter with the lower gearing. I’ve never ridden here before but it is now one of my favourites. It is so fast and not many bumps.”

Álvaro Carpe blocked in 6th
“I have not a bad lap time but I think tomorrow will be better,” stated the 16-year-old Spaniard. “I start in P6, not bad but my ideal time should be better, but I didn’t get to finish the lap without being held up.”

“I am very happy with the bike, I have a good feeling with it and I am enjoying the circuit so I think that the races can be better than Qualifying.”

Broadcast
This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.

Race 1 is at 17:00 CEST on Saturday and Race 2 is on Sunday at 15:30, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.

For more info checkout our dedicated Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup News page Rookies Cup News

Or visit the official Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup website rookiescup.redbull.com/