The weather forecasts for Assen were more than right, as buckets of rain were falling during this afternoon’s MotoGP’s second free practice.
The wet session was important to find a set-up for a race that is expected to be wet, and also for the riders to see if their helmet visors were working better than during the Le Mans round.
Many may remember that in the French round a number of riders suffered huge issues with fogging.
Marc Marquez took a number of risks – like using a hard rear wet tire – to end up on the top of the timesheets with a best lap of 1:47.
617 with his last flying lap demoting Valentino Rossi to second and +0.
252 adrift.
Team mate Jorge Lorenzo suffered a huge highside twenty minutes in to the session – he had a hard rear on his M1 – when he touched the slippery wet kerb at the Hoge Heide.
The Yamaha rider initially seemed okay as he walked away from the crash with just one of his boots partially unlatched, but he slowed down holding his wrist and forearm, but it was immediately suspected that he was suffering from a collarbone fracture, which has now been officially confirmed, and this could mean an end to his title hopes, as it is a compound fracture.
Lorenzo is now expected to fly to Barcelona and undergo surgery at the Dexeus Clinic, and tentative news have him returning for the Sachsenring round.
Third fastest Dani Pedrosa, but the Repsol Honda rider was more than six tenths from his rookie team mate who showed an impressive ability to adapt in wet conditions.
Stefan Bradl was fourth and is now using Brembo brakes and he was followed by the Ducati factory riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden who posted the exact same times.
Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow was seventh and 1.
444 second off pace, but apparently the British rider wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks in the very tricky conditions.
Three CRT riders closed out the top ten and they were Danilo Petrucci, Yonny Hernandez and Michael Laverty.
Aleix Espargaro also binned his ART machine and he was seen holding his left wrist, while Karel Abraham also crashed as his CRT machine continued by itself smashing into the tire barrier.
2013 MotoGP Assen FP2 results:01- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 1’47.
617 02- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
252 03- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.
623 04- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.
977 05- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.
065 06- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.
065 07- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
144 08- Danilo Petrucci – CAME Iodaracing Project – Ioda Suter BMW – + 1.
414 09- Yonny Hernandez – Paul Bird Motorsport – ART GP13 – + 1.
512 10- Michael Laverty – Paul Bird Motorsport – PBM 01 – + 1.
821 11- Claudio Corti – NGM Mobile Forward Racing – FTR Kawasaki – + 1.
877 12- Alvaro Bautista – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 2.
029 13- Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 2.
052 14- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 2.
348 15- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – ART GP13 – + 2.
801 16- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 3.
363 17- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 3.
815 18- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 4.
291 19- Andrea Iannone – Energy T.
I.
Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 4.
538 20- Ivan Silva – Avintia Blusens – BQR FTR – + 4.
730 21- Lukas Pesek – CAME Iodaracing Project – Ioda Suter BMW – + 4.
868 22- Hector Barbera – Avintia Blusens – BQR FTR – + 5.
441 23- Colin Edwards – NGM Mobile Forward Racing – FTR Kawasaki – + 6.
657 24- Bryan Staring – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – FTR Honda MGP13 – + 8.
144