2026 Dutch MotoGP News—Friday
Rider announcements start
In the wake of MotoGP’s agreement with the MSMA, announced in Brno, three major announcements for 2027 have been released. It’s now official that Pedro Acosta will line up alongside Marc Marquez in Ducati’s factory team next year, while Pecco Bagnaia will move to Aprilia on a four-year deal.
“It means on the mental side, I feel ready [for another two years]. And about my physical condition, I feel better and better,” said Marquez.
Acosta said, “Sharing a team with Marc was going to be an honor for me, and I will try to learn as much as I can. He’s maybe in the end of his career, I’m just starting my one. It will be a very good opportunity to try to become a better rider.”
Meanwhile Bagnaia revealed he decided to look at options beyond Ducati after last season’s disastrous Indonesian GP. “I pushed a lot for a long-term contract. I really believe in the project, and the support I received from them is fantastic,” he said.
Reaction to 850cc test
Monday after Brno was the first chance for a selection of MotoGP riders to try the new 850cc machines for the first time with Pirelli tires.
Marc Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer lined up for Ducati while Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez tried Aprilia’s new machine. Pedro Acosta was on duty for KTM.
Most riders were limited with what they could say. But Yamaha’s Test Rider Augusto Fernandez mentioned, “More because you’re using it without the devices and everything, that feels more like a real bike, a motorbike, back to riding the bike yourself, not behind the bike and getting stuck on the devices.”
Holeshot ban from Assen confirmed
The Grand Prix Commission has banned holeshot devices from the Grand Prix of the Netherlands in a bid to improve first corner safety.
After two practice starts without the devices in Brno, the field had two more start sessions to prepare in Assen before Saturday’s Sprint. Most riders were positive. “I like this type of start because it is a little bit slower but you can understand the braking into Turn 1. For me it’s a big change because it is very easy to make a wheelie, on the other hand I think it will be important for the safety,” said Joan Mir.
But Marc Marquez sounded a note of concern: “I did four starts, and two of those I arrived in the first corner and the wheel didn’t touch the ground. It’s easy [in practice] because you just roll the gas [gently] but with all the bikes [in a real start], let’s see who will roll the gas to touch the front tire.”
“The brake point is more natural [without disengaging the front device], but from the start to the brake point, something can happen very easily. I just hope everybody keeps control.”
Friday MotoGP
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) bounced back from a difficult Czech GP to top Friday’s MotoGP action at Assen, leading Practice ahead of Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Run in unusually hot conditions, the hour-long session began with an early crash for Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) at Turn 5, although the Spaniard rejoined. Rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) continued his strong recent form by leading the early stages before Bezzecchi moved to the top as the pace increased.
The battle for automatic Q2 places intensified in the closing stages, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Acosta, Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda), and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) all featuring inside the top 10. Bastianini was frustrated after encountering Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) circulating slowly on the racing line.
Yellow flags interrupted the final minutes after Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed at Turn 12 and was taken to the medical center. Moments later, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) also fell at the same corner before Alex Marquez’s second crash of the day at Turn 11 brought out the red flag. Marquez escaped without fractures and secured a Q2 berth in 10th.
Following the restart, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) recovered from 17th to fifth, while Bastianini also secured direct passage to Q2. Bezzecchi remained untouchable, completing a clean sweep of Friday’s sessions. Fernandez held onto second, with Acosta climbing to third on his final lap. Ogura finished fourth ahead of Bagnaia, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Bastianini, Martin and Alex Marquez.
Morbidelli narrowly missed Q2 by 0.026 seconds in 11th, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) was the top Honda rider in 12th. Moreira finished 13th, Aldeguer 14th after his crash, and Quartararo was the leading Yamaha rider in 15th.
2026 Dutch MotoGP News and Results—Friday MotoGP
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | 1:31.123s |
| 2 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +0.177s |
| 3 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.187s |
| 4 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +0.239s |
| 5 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.261s |
| 6 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.323s |
| 7 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.342s |
| 8 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +0.465s |
| 9 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.515s |
| 10 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +0.578s |
Friday Moto2
David Alonso (CFMOTO Azul Marino Aspar Team) topped Moto2 Practice at Assen with a 1:36.154, edging World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) by just 0.009 seconds. Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) completed the top three, only 0.055 seconds behind Gonzalez, with just 0.256 seconds covering the top 10.
The session featured multiple crashes and a red flag, with Ayumu Sasaki (Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team) crashing three times. Championship contender Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) suffered the biggest setback after a highside at Turn 5. Although uninjured, the Italian was unable to return to the track and will have to fight through Q1 on Saturday.
Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Azul Marino Aspar Team) finished fourth and fifth, while Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) was sixth, just 0.165 seconds off Alonso’s benchmark.
Rookie Taiyo Furusato (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) briefly led the session before ending an impressive seventh, ahead of Czech GP winner Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR–Xeramic–MSI), whose late crash at the Geert Timmer Chicane did not prevent him from advancing directly to Q2.
After overcoming an early technical issue, Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) secured ninth. Home favorite Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and championship runner-up Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) also booked automatic Q2 places in 11th and 12th, respectively.
2026 Dutch MotoGP News and Results—Friday Moto2
| 1 | David Alonso | COL | CFMOTO Azul Marino Aspar Team (Kalex) | 1m 36.154s |
| 2 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.009s |
| 3 | Tony Arbolino | ITA | REDS Fantic Racing (Kalex) | +0.064s |
| 4 | Senna Agius | AUS | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.117s |
| 5 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Azul Marino Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.164s |
| 6 | Alex Escrig | SPA | KLINT Racing Team (Forward) | +0.165s |
| 7 | Taiyo Furusato | JPN | Idemitsu Honda Team Asia (Kalex) | +0.179s |
| 8 | Ivan Ortola | SPA | QJMOTOR – Xeramic – MSI (Kalex) | +0.227s |
| 9 | Filip Salac | CZE | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.251s |
| 10 | Adrian Huertas | SPA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.256s |
Friday Moto3
Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing) topped Friday’s Moto3 Practice at Assen, leading a Honda sweep of the top three with his first session-topping performance of the 2026 season. The Australian’s 1:40.918 was the only lap in the 1:40s, leaving him 0.216 seconds clear of the field, with less than a second covering the top 18 riders.
Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) continued his recent improvement to finish second, while Eddie O’Shea (GRYD Racing) completed the Honda 1-2-3 with his strongest showing of the year. Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) claimed fourth, just 0.146 seconds behind O’Shea.
Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) rounded out the top five ahead of Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with riders from six different nations occupying the first six positions. David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) finished eighth despite an early Turn 1 crash, while championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) secured an automatic Q2 place in 11th.
Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) endured the toughest session among the front-runners, missing the Q2 cutoff after ending Practice down in 26th.
2026 Dutch MotoGP News and Results—Friday Moto3
| 1 | Joel Kelso | AUS | GRYD – MLav Racing (Honda) | 1m 40.918s |
| 2 | Guido Pini | ITA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.216s |
| 3 | Eddie O’Shea | GBR | GRYD – MLav Racing (Honda) | +0.249s |
| 4 | Marco Morelli | ARG | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.395s |
| 5 | Adrian Cruces | SPA | CIP Green Power (KTM) | +0.399s |
| 6 | Rico Salmela | FIN | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +0.401s |
| 7 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.471s |
| 8 | David Almansa | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.477s |
| 9 | Marcos Uriarte | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.561s |
| 10 | Brian Uriarte | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.588s |
