ASSEN: Spain’s Raul Fernandez won the Dutch MotoGP sprint in Assen on Saturday, as compatriot Jorge Martin bagged pole position after clocking the fastest time in qualifiers.

Fernandez (Aprilia-Trackhouse) finished ahead of Japanese team-mate Ai Ogura and Italy’s Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati-VR46) after 13 laps of the circuit. Italy’s Marco Bezzecchi and Martin, both on Aprilia bikes, finished fourth and fifth.

In earlier qualifying for pole, Martin, the 2024 world champion, finished ahead of the three other Aprilias on the track ridden by Ogura, Bezzecchi and Fernandez.

It was the first time the Italian motorbike brand had sealed the first four places on the grid, with just 0.143sec separating the six fastest riders.

For Martin, eight points ahead of championship leader Bezzecchi, it was his 21st pole and first since the Australian GP in 2024.

Reigning world champion Marc Marquez (Ducati), winner of the last two GPs, came in seventh behind team-mates Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio. Marrquez and Bagnaia were sixth and seventh in the sprint.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2026