Just a week ago, the Aprilia factory left Brno battered. Between Marco Bezzecchi's disqualification, Marc Marquez's renewed pressure in the title race, and a series of incidents that cost them dearly in the championship, the Noale-based manufacturer arrived at Assen with the obligation to react.
The message sent on Friday is crystal clear. Aprilia She didn't just regain control. She dominated this first day. Already setting the fastest time in free practice, Marco Bezzecchi confirmed his excellent form by also winning the pre-qualifying session thanks to a lap completed in 1'31"123. Even more revealing, Raul fernandez placed the second RS-GP just 177 thousandths of a second behind, offering Aprilia a double.
An ideal response after two Grand Prix that had completely revived the season. Ducati in the fight for the championship. Behind the two Aprilias, Pedro Acosta continues to impress. Freshly announced as a future teammate of Marc Marquez in Ducati en 2027, the pilot KTM recorded the third fastest time of the session thanks to an excellent finish, confirming that his pure speed continues to improve despite a future already geared towards Borgo Panigale.
Ai Ogura He too is continuing his remarkable apprenticeship. The Japanese player places fourth Aprilia in the Top 4, demonstrating once again the overall competitiveness of the RS-GP on the Dutch track.
A smile at Aprilia, a grimace at Gresini Ducati in Assen
The direct qualification of Francis Bagnaia In Q2, it's almost an improbable scenario. Having struggled for a long time after seeing several of his best laps cancelled, the driver Ducati seemed destined to go through Q1. But the red flag caused by the spectacular crash ofAlex Marquez offered him one last chance. bagnaia did not let this second chance slip away and snatched fifth place on the last lap.
Marc MarquezIn sixth place, he didn't even need to return to the track in the final minutes. Already assured of his qualification for Q2, the leader of the revival Ducati remained quietly in his stall.
Enea Bastianini For his part, the pilot confirms the progress seen in recent weeks. Tech3 hoist his KTM seventh in front Fabio Di Giannantonioas George Martin completes the Top 9 despite an impressive high-speed off-track excursion that had caused an initial yellow flag.
The end of the session will nevertheless be remembered for the two heavy crashes of the Gresini riders. Alex Marquez, who was making his second comeback after his injuries in Catalonia, suffered a slight highside at turn 11. Taken to the medical center, he was diagnosed with a contusion to his right shoulder and abrasions to his left arm. X-rays, however, revealed no fractures, excellent news as the Spaniard continues his return to competition.
A few minutes earlier, his teammate Fermin Aldeguer had already fallen heavily in the same spot. Suffering from back and chest injuries, the young Spaniard was transferred to hospital as a precaution for further examination.
Franco Morbidelli He ultimately missed out on direct qualification for Q2 by just 26 thousandths of a second after being penalized earlier in the day for obstructing Enea Bastianini. Joan Mir, Diogo Moreira, Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Viñales, Alex Rins, Luca Marini, Brad Binder, Jack Miller, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Augusto Fernandez and Cal Crutchlow will all have to go through Q1.
At the end of this first day, one lesson clearly emerges: Aprilia reacted perfectly after the turbulence in Brno. But behind this collective demonstration, Ducati remains firmly entrenched in the battle thanks to Bagnaia, Marquez and the inevitable Peter AcostaThe battle for the top spots in the grid looks more open than ever. To make sure you don't miss it, here's the schedule.
Assen MotoGP schedule for the 2026 Dutch GP
Saturday June 27
Free Practice 2 Moto3 08:40 p.m. - 09:10 p.m.
Free Practice 2 Moto2 09:25 p.m. - 09:55 p.m.
MotoGP Free Practice 2 10:10-10:40
Q1 MotoGP
10:50p.m.-11:05p.m.
Q2 MotoGP 11h15-11h30
Q1 Moto3 12h45-13h00
Q2 Moto3 13h10-13h25
Q1 Moto2 13h40-13h55
Q2 Moto2 14h05-14h20
MotoGP sprint race 15:00 p.m. (13 laps)
