Euro Moto Assen: Race control issues 41 penalties involving fines and time penalties

A glance at the list of fines from the Euro Moto event in Assen – with its three solo classes and three cup classes in the supporting programme – is enough to make your head spin. A staggering 41 times – yes, forty-one – a fine was issued by the race organisers or the stewards. Either the riders have gone completely rogue, or the decision-makers were highly motivated.

Missing the compulsory riders’ briefing costs 100 euros. Ole Säuberlich had to pay up. Kawasaki Cup rider Robert Stiehler received a fine of 260 euros and was disqualified from Qualifying 1. He had been travelling in the wrong direction in the pit lane. Jolina Groschopp had been riding in the wrong direction on the service lane of the pit lane and received a warning and a €130 fine. Moritz Konrad suffered the same fate.

A colourful array of offences

It all started in the Euro Moto class with Supersport rider Daniel Blin. The Ducati rider from Poland had exceeded the speed limit in the pit lane by 11 km/h. A second instance saw him exceed the speed limit by 10 km/h. As a result, he was moved back three places on the starting grid and must pay 75 euros to the DMSB. Only his Supersport colleague Luca Göttlicher was even faster. He, too, was moved back three places on the starting grid and is now 75 euros poorer. 75 euros and a warning were handed down to Junior Cup rider Paul Linsbichler for speeding. Udo Reichmann from the Pro Superstock Cup joined the motley crew and had to fork out 75 euros for exceeding the speed limit at the end of the pit lane. ADAC Junior driver Tiago Dhondt joined the queue at the till and lost three places on the grid. As he was also driving too fast, but at less than 10 km/h, Jaden Immanuel only had to fork out 75 euros.

Warnings for crossing the white line at the end of the pit lane were also particularly common. From the ADAC Junior Cup, the following were caught out: Quinn de Joode, Yevsevii Kovalov, Viktor Cech, Fabian Beitschek and Luigi Orsolini. From the Kawasaki Cup, Simon Fuchs, Nick Weber and Rocco Kempker were penalised. Luca Alfredo from the ADAC Junior Cup was racing on unmarked tyres in the first qualifying session. As a result, he was demoted three places in Race 1. A report was made to race control regarding an accident at the end of the pit lane involving four riders from the Kawasaki Cup. Robert Stiehler had made a mistake during the start drill and got off with a warning. The same applied to Max Herzog.

Track limits and cutting corners

In the first Supersport race, it was Daniel Blin’s turn again. As he had taken a shortcut at Turn 6 but failed to slow down sufficiently afterwards, he received a long-lap penalty, which was converted into a three-second penalty. ADAC Junior rider Zenno Bulté had to complete the long lap twice. He had started the warm-up lap from the pit exit. Superstock rider Ouri Bikkems received the same penalty for the same offence. Viktor Cech received just a one-second penalty, as he hadn’t lost enough time whilst cutting the corner at Turn 17. His Junior Cup colleague Mick Koomen was given a six-second penalty for causing contact with another rider at Turns 16/17.

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In Race 2, ADAC Junior rider Ole Säuberlich lost one place after exceeding the track limits at Turn 18 on the final lap. The same fate befell Sportbike leader Stepan Zuda, Ruben Bijman and Alexander Weizel, as well as Cup rider Jaden Immanuel. Supersport rider Luca de Vleeschauwer had come into conflict with the track limits a good five times and was handed a three-second penalty on top.

Race marred

The most prominent name on the list of offenders was Superbike rider Markus Reiterberger, who, according to race control, had taken a shortcut at Turn 6 and was forced to serve a long lap penalty. Blin had lodged a protest against his penalty, but this was rejected by race control. The 500 euros he paid for his protest are therefore likely to be gone as well.

Sportbike rider Luis Rammerstorfer was involved in a crash due to an overly ambitious overtaking manoeuvre and must complete the long lap twice in the next race in which he starts. Sportbike rider Ty Henriksen was disqualified after Race 2 due to an oil plug that had not been properly secured.