Recapping all the Red Bull Rookies action from Assen

2024 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Round Four – Assen

Qualifying

Álvaro Carpe took his second Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup pole position. The Spanish 17-year-old hit the top of the timing screen on his second lap and improved with his fourth and sixth.

The blustery wind from the two free sessions had died away, but neither FP1 leader Rico Salmela nor Valentin Perrone, who headed FP2, could better Carpe when it mattered.

Salmela came closest with his 11th and final lap but was still 0.405 seconds off in second. Brian Uriarte completed the front row.

Race One

Brian Uriarte scored a fantastic victory with a late sixth to fifth gear masterstroke on the final, nabbing both the win in the Netherlands and the Cup lead in one swoop.

15-year-old Spaniard led Rico Salmela and Valentin Perrone flashed across the line with just one second covering the top eight KTMs.

Nine riders went into the race needing to perform long lap penalties after issues in practice, mainly slow and inconsiderate riding. This re-organised the lead group in the early laps but the fastest riders like pole man Alvaro Carpe, Salmela and Perrone soon got back to the front.

Carpe fought to hold the lead for much of the race but had shown his cards and got trumped on the final lap.

Brian Uriarte – P1

“As I said yesterday, there was no plan before the race because it just gets so crazy. I rode a lot on my own in practice and I felt I had a really good flow here. I felt that in the race too, I was really comfortable. I did have a big front wheel slide, saved it, a bit of skill, a good bit of luck. Alvaro was fast through the final section but as I followed him I realised that he was doing the last very fast left-hander in 6th and I was doing it in 5th. That gave me the better drive down to the chicane. I didn’t want to show him earlier, on the last lap I went for it and got in front of him before that. I knew I had it then he would not get past.

Rico Salmela – P2

“It wasn’t easy starting with a long lap penalty but I felt confident all race and I didn’t need to rush to go to the front,” stated the 16-year-old Finn. “I tried to stick with Carpe and Perrone all race. Carpe had a good speed, I felt like I could have gone faster but I didn’t want to fight too much. The last lap didn’t go like I wanted, I had a good slipstream down the back straight, got in a good position but was not quite close enough to Brian down to the chicane at the end to go for it. But still, P2 is not bad.”

Valentin Perrone – P3

“I’m happy about this race because yesterday I made some mistakes in Qualifying and I got a long lap penalty,” explained the Argentine 16-year-old. “But in the race, I did the long lap so fast and I caught the lead group back quickly and I was in P2 to P5 all the laps. In the last lap, I lost some positions in the last corner because there was almost a collision but I made a good exit and overtook Carpe and made the podium, for tomorrow I will try to do even better.”

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Veda Pratama – P4

“I’m really happy with the result for Race 1,” enthused the 15-year-old Indonesian. “In the last lap, I tried to get on the podium but I missed a gear exiting a corner into the fast section before the finish and then I shifted and touched someone so lost places. I finished P4 and I’m still happy but I want more tomorrow.”

Ruche Moodley – P5

“When I got to the front I tried to push hard so that it would break up the group a little bit,” explained the South African 17-year-old. “I thought that I had the pace from yesterday. But when they came back from the long lap penalty I got passed and dropped too far back. So tomorrow I need to pass someone as soon as they pass me and not allow myself to drop back.”

Alvaro Carpe – P6

“I was running a good pace with a lot of confidence,” stated the Spanish 17-year-old who still holds 3rd in the points table.” I had to do the long lap but then in less than 2 laps I caught the group and I led almost all the race. But then on the last lap, 2 riders overtook me in the back straight out of the slipstream. Then one more on the brakes into the chicane on the last lap. Then another rider touched me quite hard, at the last corner. I am happy to take P6 because it could be a lot worse, it could have been a nasty crash.”

Australia’s Carter Thompson came home in ninth place but was the racing so close that he was less than 1.4-seconds behind the winner.

Carter Thompson – P9

“Race 1 and done and dusted finished P9. Didn’t get the best of starts not making up any position and then had to do a long lap penalty due to an incident yesterday. I came out of the long lap in P19 and had to try to catch up and bridge the gap to the front group. In the last couple of laps I was able to get back up to the front and Make up some positions. Overall it’s was a positive race and now I know I have to pace to be fighting for the podium and race win. We have another race tomorrow and I’ll keep pushing and do my best.” 

Race One Results

Race Two

After the red-hot Race 1 on Saturday, the Dutch clouds cooled the Assen track surface for Sunday afternoon and perhaps that helped Marco Morelli inspire a record pace and a superb victory. The Argentine can celebrate his 17th birthday on Wednesday in great style after his second win of the season.

A wonderful turn-around from his first lap crash yesterday and a superb demonstration of skill and consistency over 15 laps, 13.695 seconds quicker than Saturday’s race.

Álvaro Carpe, the 17-year-old Spaniard chased him across the line (2nd) with 16-year-old Finn Rico Salmela (3rd).

Six KTMs had broken away from the field, towed by Morelli at a pace faster than Qualifying. At the finish, the rest of the field was 15 seconds behind, the same riders who had all finished in the lead pack on Saturday.  That 6 put on a thrilling, on-the-limit-at-every-corner, display. On the final lap, Saturday’s winner Brian Uriarte and 3rd place man Valentin Perrone both almost crashed as they tried to better Morelli.

Marco Morelli – P1

“Super good, I knew that I could do it, I feel that at all the tracks I am fast, I can be fast alone or with a group. So when I had the crash yesterday I was thinking, yes I am sad but tomorrow is another opportunity. The group was much smaller, less overtaking less battles, less crazy people. All the race I pushed, and on the last lap I pushed more, I almost touched the green twice on the final lap and I was thinking, ‘oh, oh, oh. At the last chicane, I braked absolutely as late as possible and I took victory. I think this is better than the win at the start of the year in Jerez. I dedicate it to my Dad and his birthday plus the little boss of my Junior Team Macauley Webb and also for me.”

Álvaro Carpe – P2

“The race was so fast with Marco leading. Not too many overtakes, the group was smaller, the race was faster. The bike was more on the limit, tyres, bike, everything. I was studying Marco to see if I could pass him on the last lap but had a small problem in Turn 5 coming out onto the straight and they all passed me. I pushed and coming back to the final corners I got to 3rd. Then Valentine made a save and I overtook for 2nd. I was trying to catch Marco and brake later in the last chicane but he was a bit too far.”

Rico Salmela – P3

“It was a really difficult race, Marco was fast, I was struggling a lot, pushing hard and on the limit, more than yesterday, I could follow but I didn’t feel super confident with the front to try and overtake. In the last lap, the plan was to pass a few riders but I had some chatter and ran wide. Then in the final fast left something happened and they gave me the opportunity, I took it.”

Brian Uriarte – P4

“I got back with the group for the final lap. But in the fast chicane just before the final fast left I hit the rev limiter and couldn’t overtake. Then I went super hard into that last left and I tucked the front a little bit, also I saw Valentine tucking the front and I had to release the gas, everyone passed on the inside. I had calculated to pass Valentine and in the last corner Marco but it didn’t turn out, sometimes you learn and P4 has to be enough.”

Valentin Perrone – P5

“Marco made an amazing race, every lap, pushing and pushing like crazy. I have to give him congrats,” smiled the Argentine 16-year-old. “In the last lap, I overtook Carpe and Brian and was P2. In the last fast left, I tried to overtake Marco and win but lost the front. I did a massive save and P5 is not so bad, good points for the championship and we’ll continue like this.”

Ruche Moodley – P6

“The pace was really fast today,” said the South African 17-year-old. “I think today I made a better race than yesterday because today I think I did everything I could have done. I was battling with Brian, I made a block pass and we lost the group. I couldn’t catch the group after that, the pace was quicker than Qualifying.”

Carter Thompson – P9

“Another round of racing all finished. On the first lap in turn 5 I got hit by another rider and lost a lot of position’s going back to p18. I was able to catch back up the second group but some of the riders in the group weren’t very smart and we lost a lot of ground to the front but it was still a positive weekend two top 10 finishes definitely a improvement from last round now. Thanks the the whole rookies cup crew for all the help over the weekend.Now looking forward to the next round in Austria after the summer break.”

Race Two Results

Red Bull Rookies Cup Standings

1. Uriarte 140
2. Carpe 127
3. Perrone 117
4. Quiles 110
5. Salmela 91
6. Danish 83
7. Morelli 77
8. Pratama 61
9. Moodley 51
10. Pugliese 48
11. Zanni 41
12. Daniel 37
13. Thompson 31
14. Planques 28
15. Boggio 19
16. Belford 10
17. Rammerstorfer 9
18. Sessler 8
19. Mononyane 7
20. Mounsey 7
21. Farkas 6
22. Phuettisan 5
23. Phommara 5
24. Pawelec 2
25. Pons 0

2024 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Calendar

1. April 27-28 Jerez – Spain
2. May 11-12 Le Mans – France
3. June 1-2 Mugello – Italy
4. June 29-30 Assen – Netherlands
5. August 17-18 Spielberg – Austria
6. Aug 31-Sep 1 Aragon – Spain
7. September 7-8 Misano – Italy