Marc Marquez ran wide through the final chicane while trying to defend fourth from Fabio di Giannantonio, also allowing brother Alex to pass. Both riders were penalised after the flag. Marquez kept his response diplomatic, saying he accepts it and they keep quiet, in a nod to old school paddock etiquette.
Jorge Martin takes over the MotoGP title lead for the first time since COTA after third place at Assen combined with a DNF for teammate Marco Bezzecchi. Fabio di Giannantonio and first time winner Ai Ogura are now also within 25 points of the title lead. Martin had taken pole and led much of the race before the Trackhouse Aprilias came through in the closing stages.
Ai Ogura is a MotoGP race winner after clinching victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in an Aprilia 1-2-3, fending off teammate Raul Fernandez and Aprilia’s Jorge Martin to grab his first premier class win. Ogura survived a scare when his rear ride-height device became temporarily stuck before passing Fernandez for the lead with nine laps to go, becoming Japan’s first premier-class winner since Makoto Tamada in 2004.
Marco Bezzecchi crashed out at high speed in the opening laps and threw away his championship lead in the process. The crash happened at Turn 15. He was conscious and seen sitting next to the wall surrounded by marshals before being taken to the medical centre for checks. It continued a streak of three straight races without a single point for the championship leader.
Marc Marquez admitted he is in safe mode at Assen after a subdued sixth place finish in Saturday’s MotoGP Sprint, having said on Friday he dislikes the circuit due to its risk level. He crossed the line seventh before being promoted to sixth when Bagnaia was penalised for exceeding track limits. He now trails Bezzecchi by 42 points after cutting the gap from 102 over the previous four races.
Marc Marquez had his worst qualifying result of 2026 with seventh place at Assen. The eight time champion could not match the flying Aprilias despite strong practice form. Jorge Martin took pole ahead of an all Aprilia top four. Marquez will need a strong start in the Sprint to limit damage in the championship battle against Bezzecchi and Martin.
Aprilia achieved a rare top four qualifying lockout at Assen with Jorge Martin on pole. The factory bikes and satellite machines showed unmatched one lap pace at the Cathedral of Speed. Martin looked sharp on his return to the front row while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi lines up third. Ducati riders struggled to match the Aprilia speed with Marc Marquez starting seventh.
Jorge Martin grabbed pole position at Assen in a dominant Aprilia showing. The Spaniard fired in a stunning lap to claim his first pole in nearly two years ahead of strong teammate displays. Aprilia locked out the top four spots in qualifying at the Cathedral of Speed. Martin will lead the pack into the Sprint later today.
Brad Binder expects to know more about his MotoGP future during next month’s summer break. The South African is currently 13th in the championship and appears to have lost his factory seat to a new Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio lineup, joining Rins, Miller and Morbidelli as winners facing uncertain futures. Tech3 KTM has yet to finalise its 2027 lineup. WorldSBK remains the obvious alternative if MotoGP runs out of room.
MotoGP will ban holeshot devices starting at the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen. Riders and teams reacted to the sudden rule change aimed at safety and fairness. Some expect starts to slow by up to 30 kilometres per hour while others worry about added risks in poor conditions.