The American team rule on Saturday afternoon, with Diggia completing the podium as the squabble behind lights up
Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) took an awesome Tissot Sprint win at Assen, launching from fourth on the grid to make his way to the lead and hold on to deny teammate Ai Ogura. Behind them, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) completed the Saturday podium after fighting his way past polesitter Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) and Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing).
Ogura took the holeshot from second on the grid but Martin struck back quickly for the lead, with the Japanese rider forced to slot back into second early on. Behind, Fernandez was third and Bezzecchi went wide from an initial P4, losing out to Diggia after the #49 had also dispatched a fast-starting Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). On his tail came Ducati Lenovo teammate Francesco Bagnaia in a high-powered freight train in the front group.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was holding on in P8 behind that lead gaggle, with Pedro Acosta (red Bull KTM Factory Racing) having attacked him early on and then heading wide, dropping back outside the top ten and leaving the Yamaha with Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) on his tail looking for a way through.
On Lap 2 Fernandez got past his teammate at the same place Ogura had lost the lead a lap before, and at the end of Lap 3 it was all go at the final chicane. Fernandez stuck for the lead against Martin and Di Giannantonio attacked Ogura to take over in third, with all four fanning out across the main straight.
Martin then headed slightly wide on Lap 4 and lost out to Diggia, with Ogura then striking to also move through on the #89. He hit back at the final chicane and was denied again, as Fernandez and Di Giannantonio started to build a gap in the lead.
Ogura got the hammer down on the chase behind the lead duo as the Aprilia Racing machines then started to duel amongst themselves, with Bezzecchi eventually making it stick. Behind them, Marquez, Bagnaia and Bastianini were also locked in combat as Ogura started to reel in the leaders.
By five to go, Fernandez had built his own gap as Ogura homes in on Diggia. The Japanese rider then made a textbook attack at the final chicane, moving through into second, so with only a handful of laps to go it was Trackhouse vs Trackhouse for the win.
Bezzecchi was also on a charge behind, cutting the gap to Diggia in third as the laps ticked down. Martin, Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Bastianini were close together in a train fighting over fifth and Acosta, meanwhile, was up from P15 where he rejoined after going wide and in P9 – on for a point.
Onto the last lap and the gap had come down as Ogura dug in, but it wasn’t quite enough – still six tenths between the two. Di Giannantonio had also found a little bit of breathing space over Bezzecchi late on, with the closest battle coming down to 2024 title rivals Bagnaia and Martin on the final lap.
The #63 tried to make a move but just couldn’t quite find the gap, forced to try and win a drag race to the line but just losing out. Up ahead however, it was a dream Sprint for SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP team with a 1-2 – Fernandez holding on for a stunning victory from fourth on the grid, with Ogura taking second. Di Giannantonio completed the Sprint podium, leaving Championship leader Bezzecchi just off the Saturday rostrum.
Martin held on by just 0.061 ahead of Bagnaia in their shoot to the line, taking P5 and P6, with Marc Marquez a further tenth behind in seventh. Bastianini was another four tenths back, the #23 taking eighth as Acosta took that final point after his awesome comeback from P15.
Advantage Aprilia remains on Saturday but it’s SuperFile Trackhouse on top – will the same be true on Sunday? Come back for more on race day to find out!
MotoGP Sprint results from Assen!
Alonso clinches back-to-back poles, Gonzalez to start P8 in Assen
For the second time in seven days, David Alonso (CFMOTO Azul Marino Aspar Team) earned pole position in a fiercely competitive Moto2 qualifying session at the Dutch GP that saw Q1 graduate Alberto Ferrandez clinch a debut front row start in P2, and alongside the Spaniard is his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 teammate Izan Guevara.
Guevara, who sits P2 in the overall standings, will aim to claw some points back on title race leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) in Assen, and with the latter launching from P8, the #28 has a great chance of doing so.
Gonzalez and teammate Senna Agius’ session never properly got going after the duo showed brilliant pace all weekend. The Australian, who survived a massive moment on the exit of Turn 8 when pushing for an improved time, starts from P7.
Fronting the second row is Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team), the #17 was another rider who came through Q1, and so too was sixth place Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) and after the Italian’s huge highside in Practice, that qualifying result was needed for the rider P3 in the championship. Muñoz and Vietti sandwich Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Azul Marino Aspar Team) on the second row.
Peruse the full results from Moto2 qualifying and then come back for lights out at 12:15 (UTC+2) on Sunday!
Quiles denies Kelso by 0.025s in Assen
Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) will start from pole at the Dutch GP but it was a close run contest as Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing) is forced to settle for second by just 0.025. Completing the front row, rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) takes P3.
Kelso was quickest after the first runs before Uriarte bettered his lap and then the Australian hit back. However, Quiles had something left in the locker and was able to take over on pole.
Behind Quiles, Kelso and then Uriarte, Marco Morelli (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) takes P4, joined on the second row by Adrian Cruces (CIP – Green Power) and David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) as his run of poles comes to an end.
Indonesian rider Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) heads Row 3 ahead of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Guido Pini, who just pips his Leopard Racing teammate Adrian Fernandez.
Check out the full results from Moto3 qualifying and come back for more on Sunday at 11:00 (UTC +2) as the lights go out for race day in Assen!