The Grand Prix Sprint MotoGP The Netherlands in Assen delivered an unequivocal verdict: Aprilia reigns supreme this year at the TT Circuit, and the ban on the Start Device, pFor the first time since its widespread use, nothing has changed. With a historic quadruple in qualifying and a one-two finish in the race, the Noale brand delivered a powerful demonstration.
However, behind this resounding success, internal dynamics hold their share of surprises. An analysis of the forces at play…
Aprilia placed its four RS-GPs in the top four positions of the starting grid, an unprecedented feat in MotoGP, and in the race the four bikes locked out the first four positions at the start of the raceThe expected hierarchy then shattered.
Trackhouse Aprilia humiliates the factory team.
Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), who started fourth, won ahead of his teammate Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) to give the American team its first sprint doubleThis performance was all the more remarkable given that Fernandez was running just ten days after an appendicitis attack..
The factory team, however, disappointed. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) (4th) and Jorge Martín (Aprilia Racing) (5th), starting from the front rowsaw their satellites pass in front of them. George Martinauthor of the pole positionquickly lost ground after a mistake at turn 5. Marco Bezzecchi, victim of a bad start, admitted to having " lacked feeling in the first few laps ».
"If you had to choose a winner from among the four Aprilias, you wouldn't have chosen Fernandez." Neil Hodgson, TNT Sports commentator, said bluntly. That's not wrong…
This poor performance raises questions. The factory team has the same equipment as Trackhouse, after all.The difference came down to race management and driver confidence. A warning sign for Marco Bezzecchiwho wasted time bickering with his Spanish teammate who, for his part, is playing his own card all the more clearly as he is in contention for the title and will no longer be with Aprilia next year.
You can't blame the Noale pilots for letting their own team fight amongst themselves. But this time they paid the price… much to the delight of Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team).
Ducati is lagging behind but on the lookout
Ducati relegated to an unusual secondary role on a track where the Aprilias are clearly superior, the reigning world champion was able to limit the damage as much as possible, conceding only 2 additional points to the overall leader.
He even had the good fortune to benefit from the small penalty given to his teammate Francis Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)…
The role of standard-bearer for Borgo Panigale, however, once again falls to the solid and consistent Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who started 6th, played the spoiler by joining the pack of Aprilias. He even held second place for several laps before giving way to Ai Ogura. “ To be in the mix, to try and stay close to Raul for the win and finish on the podium, that's a great achievement " he saidHe also highlighted the superiority of the Aprilias in fast corners, where they use less of the rear tire »
KTM halfway
At KTM, it's once again a glass half full: Mattighofen placed two RC16s in the points. Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) 8th, Peter Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 9th, a decent result but one that hides recurring technical difficulties.
Peter Acosta experienced a nightmarish morning with two mechanical problemsHe then made a mistake at the start of the Sprint, going wide and dropping to 15th place before climbing back up that holds the top spot. " I wasn't prepared for the sprint race because I had only done 10 laps. " he lamented.
Enea BastianiniThe more consistent rider tried to get into the leading group but failed.. KTM nevertheless occupies third place in the constructors' championship with 165 points, well ahead of Honda and Yamaha.
The Japanese in trouble
The two Japanese giants continue their journey through the desert, despite the constant efforts of their pilots.
At Honda, the rookie Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) is gaining strength each time and pleasantly surprising. He learns quickly, very quickly, and reaps the rewards of his many falls. Joan mir (Honda HRC Castrol)... which he leads in the championship!
At Yamaha, fabio quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) finishes 10th and continues to be the sole leader, despite his almost announced departure at the end of the season…
Sprint summary:
Sprint results of the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen:
While we wait to find out more, as the 22 drivers prepare under overcast skies with slightly cooler temperatures of 25°C in the air and 29°C on the track for this 10-minute free practice session, let's enjoy these few moments of live coverage thanks to the official website. MotoGP.com :
Having made our presentations, let us end with the table which summarizes the facts known so far.
|
MotoGP™ Netherlands, Assen |
2025 |
2026 |
| FP1 | 1'32.216 Marc Marquez (See here) | 1'32.311 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| Practice | 1'31.156 Fabio Quartararo (See here) | 1'31.123 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| FP2 | 1'31.876 Fabio Quartararo (See here) | 1'31.611 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| Q1 | 1'31.517 Raul Fernandez (See here) | 1'31.271 Fabio Quartararo (See here) |
| Q2 | 11'31.651 Fabio Quartararo (See here) | 1'30.812 Jorge Martin (See here) |
| Sprint | Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi (See here) | R. Fernandez, Ogura, Di Giannantonio (See here) |
| Warm Up | 1'31.874 Alex Marquez (See here) | (See here) |
| Grand Prix | Marc Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi Francesco Bagnaia (See here) | (See here) |
| All time lap record | 1'30.540 Francesco Bagnaia 2024 (See here) |
MotoGP Assen Warm up MotoGP Assen Warm up MotoGP Assen Warm up
