A nightmare Friday for SpeedRS: Vietti and Lunetta suffer heavy crashes

Normally, the race weekend at Assen takes place in bearable temperatures, though it often rains in the ‘Cathedral of Speed’. This year is different. By Friday afternoon, the air above the TT Circuit Assen had heated up to 35 degrees Celsius, and the tarmac was literally glowing.

Things also got heated during the Moto2 qualifying session. The 40-minute session turned into a crash fest. Many riders lost control of their bikes, with Ayumu Sasaki even ending up in the gravel three times.

Both SpeedRS riders crashed

Luca Boscoscuro’s SpeedRS team was hit particularly hard. Just three minutes into the session, Celestino Vietti suffered a massive highside in Turn 5. The Italian was flung high into the air from his bike and landed in the gravel trap. He then limped off the track.

Just a few minutes later, it was his team-mate Luca Lunetta’s turn. The Moto2 rookie crashed in Turn 7. The red flag was then waved so that the marshals could safely recover Lunetta’s Boscoscuro. The marshals then had to clear the track, resulting in a break of several minutes.

This meant that both SpeedRS riders had suffered heavy crashes within the first ten minutes of the session. The mechanics back in the pits then did everything they could to get Vietti and Lunetta’s bikes back on the road, but there simply wasn’t enough time. The damage was extensive for the Italian team – not only was a lot of equipment damaged, but from a sporting perspective, Friday was a complete disaster for SpeedRS. Lunetta finished the qualifying session in 24th place, whilst Vietti came last – the rider from Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy did not set a single timed lap.

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Vietti and Lunetta will therefore have to compete in Q1 on Saturday. The only positive from Day 1 at Assen: both riders escaped with only minor injuries.