Starting grid for the 2026 Assen MotoGP race after a penalty
The full starting grid for Sunday's 2026 Assen MotoGP race, including a penalty for Franco Morbidelli.
Jorge Martin heads an historic Aprilia top-four sweep of the grid in this afternoon’s Assen MotoGP race.
Martin celebrated his first RS-GP pole position after edging out Trackhouse rider, and Brno pole qualifier, Ai Ogura.
However, Ogura’s team-mate Raul Fernandez actually set the fastest lap, only to lose it after exceeding track limits.
That cancellation dropped Fernandez to fourth, elevating title leader Marco Bezzecchi - fastest throughout practice - back onto the front row.
Sprint
Bezzecchi got the better of team-mate and nearest title rival Martin in the Sprint - but both failed to make the podium with Fernandez and Ogura claiming a dream one-two for Trackhouse, and Fabio di Giannantonio third for Ducati.
Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia starts as best of the non-Aprilias in fifth place, with VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio completing row two.
Reigning champion and last year’s double Assen winner Marc Marquez could only manage seventh, leaving him at the head of row three.
Marquez took the chequered flag where he had started in the Sprint, before being moved up a place by a penalty for Bagnaia.
Marquez will be joined on row three by KTM’s Acosta, who suffered yet more technical woes in qualifying, and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.
Joan Mir, Enea Bastianini and Alex Marquez complete row four.
After being passed fit to return from Friday’s accident in final practice, Alex then sat out qualifying, but returned for a cautious 13th in the Sprint.
However, Gresini team-mate Fermin Aldeguer is out after suffering a vertebra fracture in his practice accident.
Penalty
Franco Morbidelli qualified 13th but has a three-place penalty to serve in the grand prix for holding up Enea Bastianini during a fast lap in Friday practice.
Further back, Cal Crutchlow outqualified a MotoGP regular - Toprak Razgatlioglu - for the first time since his stand-in rides began at LCR.
The 26-lap Assen Sprint starts at 2pm local time (1pm UK).
2026 Assen MotoGP race: Full starting grid
Row 1: Jorge Martin (pole), Ai Ogura, Marco Bezzecchi
Row 2: Raul Fernandez, Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio
Row 3: Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta, Fabio Quartararo
Row 4: Joan Mir, Enea Bastianini, Alex Marquez
Row 5: Diogo Moreira, Brad Binder, Alex Rins
Row 6: Franco Morbidelli*, Luca Marini, Jack Miller
Row 7: Maverick Viñales, Augusto Fernandez, Cal Crutchlow
Row 8: Toprak Razgatlioglu
* Three-place grid penalty.
In this article
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
