The Turkish rider makes a step forward on Saturday to advance to Q2. Collin Veijer will start 22nd after a positive day.

Saturday was a day of progress and hope for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2, who managed to get Deniz Öncü into the Top 10 in Q2. The Turkish rider managed to advance from Q1 and put in a strong lap that will allow him to fight for a good position in Sunday’s race. Collin Veijer also made improvements, lowering his best time from Friday by 7 tenths and gaining several positions. The Dutchman will start 22nd on the grid at his home Grand Prix.

FP2 conditions were considerably better than Friday’s, allowing the Moto2 grid to enjoy a productive morning session in preparation for Sunday’s race.

Veijer had a positive run, gradually improving his times. Initially outside the Top 20, the Dutchman focused on completing a long run before putting on new tyres for a Time Attack simulation. He shaved 5 tenths off his best time from Practice and clocked his fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:36.287, just 7 tenths off the top spot in the session. Veijer was 15th after putting in a total of 16 laps. Öncü also rode 16 laps, but failed to find the improvement he was looking for compared to Friday. The Turkish rider, who also opted to prepare for the race in the first half of FP2, was unable to put together a perfect lap in the final minutes, despite setting his best time on his final attempt. With a 1:36.458, he finished 21st.

Track conditions for Q1 were the best of the weekend so far, and the two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders tried to make their way into Q2.

Öncü was up into fourth after a strong start, then made a trip to the pits. When he reemerged, he could not lower his time, but made the cut for Q2 as several rivals had their laps cancelled out due to yellow flags. He advanced to the grid-deciding session, and from a 1:35.680 in Q1 he improved to a 1:35.367, his best time of the weekend by far. It put him into the Top 10 on the grid, just 5 tenths off Pole Position after a difficult start to the weekend. Öncü had significant track time, with 14 laps over the two sessions. Veijer’s best time of the weekend came in Q1. The Dutch rider clocked a 1:36.133, just 1.3 seconds off the best Q2 time, but it wasn’t enough to make the cut. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rookie finished eighth in Q1 after eight laps, giving him 22nd place on the grid.

After a difficult Friday, Saturday saw the two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders grow, not only in terms of time, but also in terms of positions ahead of tomorrow’s grid. Öncü and Veijer will take part in the 22-lap Moto2 race on Sunday, from 12:15pm (local time).

Qualifying Results
1. Diogo Moreira (Kalex) | 1:34.777
2. Ivan Ortola (Boscoscuro) | 1:34.849 (+0.072)
3. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) | 1:34.985 (+0.208)
4. Aron Canet (Kalex) | 1:35.414 (+0.223)
5. Albert Arenas (Kalex) | 1:35.053 (+0.276)
10. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:35.367 (+0.590)
22. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:36.133 (+1.356)

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“Qualifying is done here in Assen. It was not an easy Saturday but we took a step forward in the morning to prepare the afternoon sessions, and also another one during Q1 and Q2. We will keep working for tomorrow to improve a little more and stay closer to the front. We just need to get a good start and keep a good pace up during the race, which will be quite long. We will try to take as many points as possible and enjoy ourselves here at such an special track.”

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“Today we made a big improvement from yesterday. The feeling with the bike is much better, so we just need to see if we can find the final steps to get the chance to get closer to the front. We will be ready for tomorrow. Let’s see what the race brings. We just want to take valuable information from the weekend and also enjoy the race to the maximum in front of my home crowd. I hope to have a nice day tomorrow.”