ASSEN, Netherlands — Jorge Martin delivered a stunning response to a difficult run of form by claiming pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday, spearheading a dominant Aprilia performance that locked out the top four places on the starting grid at Assen.
The reigning MotoGP champion produced a blistering lap of 1 minute, 30.812 seconds aboard the factory Aprilia to edge Trackhouse Racing rookie Ai Ogura by just 0.011 seconds in one of the closest qualifying sessions of the season. Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi completed the top three, while Raul Fernandez secured fourth to complete an unprecedented Aprilia sweep.
The battle for pole position unfolded in remarkably tight fashion, with only 0.143 seconds separating the fastest six riders as MotoGP’s final season under the 1000cc regulations continued to produce fiercely competitive qualifying sessions.
Much of the contest developed into a duel between Martin and Bezzecchi, whose rivalry intensified throughout Q2. Bezzecchi, returning after serving a race ban that forced him to miss the Czech Grand Prix following an incident involving a marshal, established the early benchmark with a lap of 1:30.853.
Martin responded immediately, finding just enough additional pace to move fractionally ahead during the same run and place himself in command before the decisive final minutes.
Fernandez briefly appeared to have snatched pole after setting an impressive lap of 1:30.796, but celebrations were short-lived as race officials deleted the time for exceeding track limits.
That penalty proved decisive.
With Bezzecchi unable to improve on his opening effort and Fernandez’s fastest lap erased, Martin secured his first pole position of the 2026 season, ending a frustrating sequence that had included difficult weekends at Balaton Park and Brno.
Ogura emerged as Martin’s closest challenger after producing one of the session’s strongest final laps, narrowly missing out on a second consecutive MotoGP pole while relegating Bezzecchi to third.
Although Fernandez lost his quickest time, the Spaniard still secured fourth, underlining Aprilia’s overwhelming pace around the historic Assen circuit.
Francesco Bagnaia once again led Ducati’s challenge, qualifying fifth as the highest-placed rider for the Italian manufacturer. The two-time world champion finished just over one-tenth of a second behind Martin, while VR46 Racing Team rider Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed sixth.
Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez endured a frustrating afternoon after multiple fast laps were deleted for track limits violations, leaving the Ducati rider seventh despite showing competitive pace throughout qualifying.
Pedro Acosta qualified eighth after another difficult session for KTM. The Spaniard encountered fresh technical issues and was forced to park his motorcycle before the conclusion of qualifying, limiting his opportunity to improve.
Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir ensured Yamaha and Honda each had one representative inside the top 10 after progressing through Q1. Quartararo secured ninth for Yamaha, while Mir completed the top 10 for Honda ahead of Tech3 KTM rider Enea Bastianini.
Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez, who had been declared fit following Friday’s crash, opted not to participate in qualifying in order to prioritize his recovery and will start 12th on the grid.
His teammate Fermin Aldeguer will take no further part in the Dutch Grand Prix weekend after suffering a vertebral fracture in Friday practice, dealing another setback to the Gresini squad.
Franco Morbidelli qualified 13th for VR46, while LCR Honda rookie Diogo Moreira saw his run of Q2 appearances come to an end after settling for 14th. Brad Binder completed the fifth row for KTM.
At the back of the 22-rider field, Pramac Yamaha rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu endured another difficult qualifying session, finishing behind Yamaha wildcard Augusto Fernandez and Cal Crutchlow, who continued his substitute role for LCR Honda in place of Johann Zarco.
With Aprilia occupying every position across the front two rows, Martin will head into Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s Grand Prix as the rider to beat, hoping his breakthrough pole position marks the beginning of a renewed championship charge.
