Assen delivered another spectacular sprint on Saturday, and once again Raúl Fernández emerged as the man to beat. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider produced a flawless performance to claim his second sprint victory of the season, leading a historic one-two finish for the American team and confirming Aprilia’s outstanding form at the Cathedral of Speed.
The race began with Jorge Martin starting from pole after ending a 600-day wait for the top spot on the grid, but his advantage lasted only a handful of laps. Fernández made an aggressive start from fourth, quickly dispatching the riders ahead before overtaking Martin with a decisive move. Once in clean air, the Spaniard immediately settled into an impressive rhythm that allowed him to control the race from the front.
Behind the leader, Ai Ogura recovered brilliantly after losing positions in the opening laps. The Japanese rookie fought his way past Fabio Di Giannantonio before setting the fastest laps of the race in pursuit of his teammate. Although Ogura closed the gap dramatically in the final laps, Fernández held his nerve under immense pressure to cross the finish line just 0.362 seconds ahead, sealing the first-ever Trackhouse one-two in MotoGP.
Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the podium after another consistent ride for VR46 Ducati. Marco Bezzecchi recovered to fourth after an entertaining duel with Jorge Martin, while the Aprilia factory rider faded to fifth despite leading the opening stages. Marc Marquez endured a difficult afternoon after starting only seventh on the grid and could recover no further than sixth, while Francesco Bagnaia lost another position on the final lap after exceeding track limits, dropping behind his Ducati teammate.
The sprint also marked the debut of MotoGP’s new ban on front start devices, forcing riders to adapt their launches and race management. Even with the regulation change, Aprilia looked completely at home around Assen, locking out the first four places in qualifying before converting that pace into a dominant race performance. Fernández’s victory, combined with Ogura’s runner-up finish, highlighted the remarkable progress made by Trackhouse throughout the 2026 campaign.
As the chequered flag fell, Fernández celebrated not only another sprint victory but also one of the biggest achievements in Trackhouse’s MotoGP history. After beginning the season searching for consistency, the Spaniard has now become a genuine contender every Saturday, while Aprilia heads into Sunday’s main race with enormous confidence. If today’s pace is any indication, Assen could become another defining weekend in the manufacturer’s outstanding season.
MiniBikers – MotoGP
2026 Dutch GP
Sprint Race
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