Raul Fernandez leads Aprilia 1-2 in Assen sprint
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 29, 2026
Assen sprint result
Raul Fernandez won the Assen sprint and gave Aprilia a 1-2 finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, with Ai Ogura second and Fabio di Giannantonio third. Marco Bezzecchi finished fourth after recovering from an early mistake and kept control of the championship battle. Jorge Martin crossed in fifth, Marc Marquez took sixth and Francesco Bagnaia finished seventh after a wheelie at the start. Fermin Aldeguer did not start because of a vertebra fracture he sustained on Friday. The result fit the pattern set in qualifying, where Aprilia riders had filled the front of the grid and turned the sprint into a strong team display. Fernandez’s win was his second Sprint victory of the 2026 season, and it came after he worked through a field that had already been shaped by track limits calls, deleted laps and a few costly errors from some of the main contenders.
Assen qualifying order
Jorge Martin secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix at TT Circuit Assen, and Aprilia riders locked out the top four grid spots in qualifying. Ogura went second for Trackhouse, Bezzecchi was listed third and Fernandez took fourth after briefly appearing to claim pole before his lap was deleted for track limits. Bezzecchi’s lap also did not stand, after stewards removed it for a yellow-flag infringement, which left the front of the grid tight but orderly by the end of the session. Bagnaia emerged as the leading non-Aprilia rider in fifth, while Fabio di Giannantonio took sixth. Marc Marquez lined up seventh after losing two laps for track limits, and Pedro Acosta qualified eighth after another technical issue on his KTM. The grid told the story of a session that punished small mistakes. Martin delivered the headline lap. The Aprilia riders backed it up across the first two rows. The rest of the front-runners fought for position with lap deletions, technical trouble and limited margin for error.
Marquez Assen outlook
Marc Marquez arrived at Assen on the back of back-to-back Sunday victories at Balaton Park and Brno, but he made clear the Dutch circuit did not suit him in the same way. Marquez said he felt uncomfortable and inconsistent at Assen and explained that he was riding in safe mode because the track’s direction changes are difficult for him. He said he is giving 100% but cannot do more this weekend. His main aim is to survive, and he said a top-10 finish would satisfy him. He also pointed to the wider challenge ahead, suggesting some 2026 races may be difficult and that at certain circuits simply surviving could still leave him well outside the podium positions. That assessment framed his Assen weekend from the start. He came in with recent Sunday wins and clear momentum, then shifted his focus to damage limitation as the track and conditions asked for more than he felt he could deliver.
