Aprilia locks out front row at Assen as Martin takes pole, Bezzecchi third
Jorge Martin claimed pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix in a session that saw Aprilia lock out the entire front row, while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi completes the top three after a lap deletion for teammate Raul Fernandez.
Pre-qualifying: Bezzecchi strikes first
Marco Bezzecchi, returning from a suspension in the previous round, topped Friday’s pre-qualifying with a fastest lap of 1:31.123. He led three other Aprilia riders inside the top ten – Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse), and Jorge Martin – as the Noale factory sent a strong signal after the chaos of Brno. Pedro Acosta split the Aprilias in third aboard his KTM, while the two official Ducatis of Francesco Bagnaia and world champion Marc Marquez ended the session fifth and sixth. The session ended dramatically with heavy crashes for both Gresini riders, Fermin Aldeguer and Alex Marquez, triggering yellow flags and medical checks.
Qualifying: Aprilia locks out the front row
On Saturday, Jorge Martin delivered the pole with a 1:30.812, securing the top spot ahead of Ai Ogura and Bezzecchi. Raul Fernandez had posted the quickest time but saw his lap deleted for a track limits infringement, dropping him to fourth on the grid. Bagnaia took fifth with the factory Ducati, Fabio Di Giannantonio lined up sixth, and Marc Marquez had to settle for seventh, starting from the third row. Alex Marquez, still recovering from an injury, did not take part in Q2 after Friday’s accident and will start from 12th.
- Marco Bezzecchi tops pre-qualifying with a 1:31.123, Aprilia riders lock out four of the top ten spots.
- Jorge Martin takes pole position in Q2 with a time of 1:30.812; Raul Fernandez’s faster lap is deleted for track limits.
- Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer miss Q2 after Friday crashes; Alex Marquez will start 12th.
- Sprint race begins at the Assen circuit, broadcast live on Sky Sport MotoGP and TV8.
Incidents and injuries
The Friday afternoon session was marred by two violent accidents within minutes. Aldeguer lost the rear of his Gresini Ducati at turn 11 during a time attack, rolling heavily through the gravel. Shortly after, Alex Marquez suffered a highside and was thrown from his bike. Both riders were taken to the circuit medical centre for assessments. The yellow flags interrupted the final minutes of pre-qualifying and raised concerns about Marquez’s fitness, already compromised from a previous injury. Neither rider participated in the Q2 session.
Ducati CEO weighs in
Speaking at a tram stop inauguration in Bologna, Ducati’s CEO Claudio Domenicali acknowledged the championship’s competitive balance.
He admitted the team started the season slowly, with a significant points gap that has now narrowed, though they remain in a disadvantaged position.The championship is tight, it's very nice: we've won the last two races, so we're very happy, we've found Pecco who is very strong. We have our Italian competitors, who have become very strong, I think the fans will enjoy it.
Sprint race ahead
Qualifying sets the grid for the Dutch GP sprint race, scheduled for 15:00 local time on Saturday. Bezzecchi, who crashed out of the sprint in the previous round at Brno leading to a one-race suspension for pushing a track marshal, will look to convert his front-row start into a turnaround. The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sport MotoGP and free-to-air on TV8.
- Marco Bezzecchi
- 0 seconds
- Raul Fernandez
- 0.177 seconds
- Pedro Acosta
- 0.187 seconds
- Ai Ogura
- 0.239 seconds
- Francesco Bagnaia
- 0.261 seconds
- Marc Marquez
- 0.323 seconds
