Raul Fernandez wins the sprint in the Netherlands in the battle of the Aprilias

It was one of if not the hottest weekend for the Dutch TT at Assen for MotoGP, for the first time ever it was an Aprilia lock out at the top with Jorge Martin taking his first pole since Australia 2024, Ai Ogura was second with championship leader Marco Bezzecchi rounding out the front row and Raul Fernandez who lost a potential pole lap due to track limits at the last corner was fourth. Francesco Bagnaia was the best non-Ducati in fifth ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta was the top non-Italian manufacturer in eighth.

The lights went out and Ogura lead ahead of Martin, Fernandez and Bezzecchi. Martin got back in-front of Ogura, Di Giannantonio was the top Ducati ahead of Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia. Bezzecchi went wide at turn nine and dropped to fifth.

On lap two at turn five the TrackHouse Aprilia’s swapped places with Fernandez turning underneath Ogura at turn five. Acosta made a mistake at turn seven and went into the gravel and dropped from eighth to 14th.

Bagnaia tried to pass Marquez into turn five but the reigning champion held it around the outside and the two Factory Lenovo Ducati’s were side-by-side into turn six with Marquez holding onto sixth.

Fernandez took the lead pulling off the classic GT Chicane overtake on Martin, Di Giannantonio also went through on Ogura at the same time for third.

Martin made a mistake at turn eight and that allowed Di Giannantonio and Ogura to go through, Bezzechi was now on the back of his teammate. But Martin wasted no time climbing back into the podium spots overtaking Ogura at the final chicane, but the Japanese rider out-braked Martin into turn one and was back into third.

Enea Bastianini closed in on the group fighting for third behind Bagnaia, meanwhile Di Giannantonio was closing in on Fernandez.

On lap seven Bagnaia turned underneath Marquez at turn three and shut the door at turn five to block off his teammate.

Bezzecchi went through on Martin at turn eight, Martin immediately responded at turn nine but ran wide and Bezzecchi sat him up on exit and Martin was now in the clutches of the Factory Ducatis.

On lap nine Ogura from quite far back was able to overtake Di Giannantonio to make it a TrackHouse one-two.

Fernandez was able to hold off the late charging Ogura to take his second Tissot Sprint victory of the season with Di Giannantonio taking the final podium spot. Bezzecchi was fourth ahead of his teammate Martin who fended off Bagnaia and Marquez. Bagnaia exceeded track limits by the narrowist of margins at turn 18 so he was demoted to seventh, Bastianini was the top KTM in eighth and Acosta recovered to ninth to take the final points paying position.

Featured Image: SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team