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This circuit is used for motorcycling event since 1925 and in 1949 first time using for Grand Prix Championship until now. The length of the track is 4542 meters and the width is 14 meters, with 6 corner left and 12 corner right and this circuit is one of the challenging tracks for MotoGP with a unique layout.
The big issue from Dutch TT 2011 is Cal Crutchlow return from a broken collarbone at Silverstone two weeks ago, Dani Pedrosa confirmed to absent again for round 7 and replacing by Hiroshi Aoyama from Honda Gresini and The living legend Valentino Rossi with the new Ducati GP11.1. All eyes, ears and mind were all focus to the new bike from Valentino Rossi. GP11.1 is very similar with GP12 but only the engine use 800cc.
For 2011 season Free Practice 1 and 2 start at June 22th, and this FP 1 season run with a heavy rain. Marco Simonceli has fastest on this practice with 1.49.036. And the second fastest is Valentino Rossi with his new bike GP11.1 with gap 0.360 second from Marco Simonceli and it such a great surprise because he rode a new bike with a gambling setting, and he's faster than Casey Stoner even though the gap time only 0.131 seconds. And fourth fastest in the wet free practice 1 was Andrea Dovizioso followed by the world champion 2010 Jorge Lorenzo for 5th, and the Rokie Cal Crutchlow stong in 6th position.
Of course is the good achievement from the gambling of Valentino Rossi and team to use the combination bike GP12 and put 800cc engine and the basic idea from Ducati Techinal Director Filippo Preziosi. And the first performance from the GP11.1 is very positive. And the decision to use the new bike without understand the level of this bike is such a brave decision and Valentino Rossi chosen this base on his feeling when he ride GP12 in Mugello before, and he able to make big decision base on his feeling because all his experience and his talent, like the heroic of Valentino Rossi said " If we want some movement we must brave to take all the risk".But its not enough to see the performance of GP11.1 because we already know the GP11 always good on the wet so we just now a bit of characteristic GP 11.1 in the wet. Didn't try yet on the dry track. And it was very bad when Free Practice 2 Assen canceled due the oil on track after Alex Baldolini's Moto2 bike spread oil over a large portion of the track surface. And its really not good for Valentino Rossi with his new bike so he didn't able to trying the sensation of GP11.1. but they still have tomorrow for Free Practice 3 before the best deal for Qualifying Practice.
In the morning at June 23th, Assen circuit already noisy with a beautiful sound of the bike and the extra large time Free Practice is around 90 minutes start, and the weather is combination dry and wet. The big bang of the track in Free Practice today are three Repsol Honda crashed in the earlier of the season start. Its about 8 minutes start the fast rider Casey Stoner going down, followed by The Italian with number 4 on his bike Andrea Dovizioso and than Hiroshi Aoyama crashed too and fortunately all three Repsol Honda riders is ok without a big injury. And the problem is cold track so not much grip on the track. After dry track and 23 minutes to go the raining was coming, and all riders back to the pit to change the setting of they bike. The Final result of the last Free Practice is Marco Simoneceli fastest with 1.36.149 , followed by Casey Stoner, Ben Spies, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi in 5th with gap with the lead is 1.098 seconds.Qualifying Practice start with the dry condition and all hoping so much with Valentino Rossi to able start in the front row base on his result on the all Free Practice. But we never know what will happen and the fact all happened in Qualifying is very bad result for him. The GP11.1 really can't run in the all track not only on the corner but in the straight track too. look very hard to ride. Valentino back to pit many time to tell with all the team about the problem he got, but its didn't enough to handle the problem. the bike still very slow after the end of the Qualifying and forced him to start from 11th. The big problem with his bike is not about the decision of use GP11.1 but more than to the cold temperature of the track and the tyres he chosen to the QP. But Valentino Rossi never stop to try, he will able to try anything even thought no other riders did it, like he using the soft tyre for the last of QP and make him improve from 15th to the 11th. Not good enough to start from row 4 but we never know what will happen, Valentino have a great memory in 2007 when he start from 11th and finish for 1st in Assen circuit.
And Saturday June 25th was come, before the race start like always we able to see Warming Up Practice to try the last setting before the race. and condition of the track this morning is dry and Valentino Rossi very earlier set the fastest time with 1.41.362 in the dry condition, its look like he and team already find the best setting after bad QP and after all night long work on the garage to find the stability of the bike. And 7 minutes completed heavy raining come, so many riders didn't push hard on the WUP like Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet not take any chance in this morning practice. When we look the stat of Valentino Rossi in Assen, in the fact he just need more time to know better the characteristic his new bike, and we can see this morning he clearly achieved a best time, hope will continue to the race.
The truly time is come to grab the point and title.The race Direction declare the race is Dry. Early from the beginning, big drama happened again Marco Simonceli crashed and take out Jorge Lorenzo too, and they both back to the track after the dramatic crashed and they fight a lot to have a good position, and with very strong and stable Jorge Lorenzo did the best performance and he able to finished for 6th and Simonceli for 9th.
The lucky one of the Drama between Marco and Lorenzo is Ben Spies, he running very fast and make a good gap with the Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso. And make him very far and make a good winning for the first time debut in Yamaha Racing Team with a wonderful winning and overlap 2 riders behinds. And this victory make he decided to more improve his bike for this year and 2012.Karel Abraham and Randy De Puniet also crashed in the opening laps, but they both didn't able to back to their bike to continue the race, but both of rider is ok. Cal Crutchlow doing a good battle with Valentino Rossi for 4th position and he must leave the battle because he has a problem with the tyre and back to the pit to finished on 14th. Honestly he not deserved to finished on the end of row, but he's know the best reason for him self.
And Valentino Rossi doing very well with his new bike after Cal Crutchlow back to the bix to change the tyre, he just riding alone without any riders close, so he's can enjoy to feel the GP11.1 alone. and the situation is same for 5th position Nicky Hayden he has a far gap too with the 6th position. And over all the Assen race was very interesting in the begin lap and the middle after end is look boring.When we look Valentino Rossi achievement was very good of course start from 11th and finished on 4th, is wonderful but we didnt only to see that because he got point and can stay 4th position in World Championship standing, but we must see the gap between Vale position and The lead Ben Spies the gap is really really far is about 30 second, and it must very make him worrying and think the bike didn't going well like the team want. And like he said after the race "He didn't understand well how to wotk with this bike, and all the team is lacking experience with the Italian bike, so make its slow things down". When you read Vale statement do you think he give up with this situation of course not, because he continue with "When you are used to winning and suddenly you stop, you suffer. At that point you have two options: you can start working even harder, or you can sit back and hope things change by themselves. I've chosen the first option, and I think my team has done the same. I've never regretted having this team by my side for this adventure, and everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. They still don't know the Ducati very well, but they understand me perfectly. Our problems are very solvable, and there are many people working with the team to solve them." (GP one)
Yes the one make he be a big Legend in MotoGP and in others, is he always able to build up his spirit, trying anything possible to make any change, always know what the strength and the weakness of him self without blame the other, and always believe in every dark, the light will come soon like the sun always come in the morning without doubt. When we want grab our dream or some change in our life, we must able to try anything and we need dare to take the risk will come, and any risk will let to hope and wish, and base on our hope will make us to working more hard to achieve it
No Riders Team Time Point
- 11 Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing 41.44.659 25
- 27 Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda + 7.697 20
- 4 Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda +27.506 16
- 46 Valentino Rossi – Ducati Team + 30.684 13
- 69 Nicky hayden – Ducati Team + 43.172 11
- 1 Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing + 44.536 10
- 5 Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech3 + 1.08.112 9
- 7 Hiroshi Aoyama – Repsol Honda + 1.10.53 8
- 58 Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini +1.24.925 7
- 24 Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP +1.26.216 6
- 19 Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki +1.38.466 5
- 8 Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP +1lap 4
- 64 Kousuke Akiyoshi - San Carlo Honda Gresini +1lap 3
- 35 Cal Crutchlow - Monster Yamaha Tech3 +2lap 2
- 17 Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing
- 14 Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team
rev. motogp.com, gpone, crash.net
