More from a press release issued by Aprilia:
New challenge for Aprilia Racing in the Netherlands. Tenth GP of the season for Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin at the historic TT Circuit Assen.
After the recent Grand Prix of Czechia, Aprilia Racing is back on the track at the TT Circuit Assen with the objective of returning to the battle for the top spots with riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín.
Marco Bezzecchi is headed to the Dutch track ready to turn the page after a difficult weekend in Brno. The Italian rider has a special relation with Assen, where he has achieved significant results in MotoGP. Jorge Martín heads to Assen aiming to recapture the positive sensations demonstrated throughout the early stages of the season and continuing his path of growth astride the RS-GP26.
The TT Circuit Assen, nicknamed “The Cathedral of Speed”, is a historic FIM World Championship track and it has hosted Grand Prix races since 1949. Assen is famous for its technical and demanding layout, made up of 18 turns – 6 left-handers and 12 right-handers.
Marco Bezzecchi: “I’m happy to be going back to Assen. It is a track that I like a lot. We are coming from a complicated weekend, but we’ll continue looking forward. The goal will be to keep working in the direction we’ve been going, to confirm the progress we’ve shown in recent races, and to take another step forward.”
Jorge Martin: “The Brno weekend was positive, and I think that Assen could be a track more suited to our characteristics. The important thing is to continue working as a team to figure out together what we’re missing to be more competitive, but I’m convinced that Aprilia and the team will find the right path.”
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:
Inspirational Assen looks to turn the heat up on Honda HRC Castrol.
The European heatwave looks set to follow the MotoGP World Championship as the paddock heads north to the TT Circuit Assen for Round 10.
Fans of the MotoGP World Championship are well acquainted with the Dutch GP, a uniquely historic track which until 2016 was held on a Saturday. Being the MotoGP World Championship’s longest serving circuit has by no means depleted the 4.54 kilometer long track of surprises as the 2026 edition looks set to be the hottest on record with ambient temperature expected to rocket past 35°C. The Honda HRC Castrol team enter the weekend unphased and prepared for all eventualities, including the removal of ‘holeshot’ devices.
Eighth place in Brno moved Luca Marini to within just two points of the top ten overall and advanced him to eight points clear of the chasing Bastianini. The top ten remains the target day in and day out for the Italian, especially on Friday afternoons in order to jump straight into Q2 and guarantee a top 12 spot on the grid. Sundays in 2026 have followed a familiar pattern of strong recoveries for Marini, his pace coming through the field clearly showing he has the potential for more. The #10 missed the 2025 edition of the Dutch TT due to injury.
Equaling the team’s best result of the year and collecting a substantial number of points, Joan Mir demonstrated his and the Honda RC213V’s potential at the Grand Prix of Czechia with fifth place. Focusing on maximizing his performance at each individual race for the remainder of the season, the #36 will be one to watch at a circuit which has traditionally produced dramatically close racing.
Luca Marini: “It’s clear what our objective for the weekend is: be strong on Friday afternoon. Assen is a circuit that can be quite complicated to overtake, so arriving to those first four rows from the start will make our lives a lot easier. My side of the Honda HRC Castrol team have been working great the last few weekends to keep on improving the bike so I am sure that when the lights go out on Sunday, we as a team will be at our best moment of the weekend. Looking at the weather, I can’t think of a Dutch GP that was so hot – let’s see how this changes things because in the past it was more likely to have rain in Assen!”
Joan Mir: “Feeling good heading to Assen which looks to be a really hot weekend, I think for sure the hottest weekend there! It’s a unique track which is really different to Brno and certainly to Hungary but I think that we can continue to show our potential. It’s a circuit where a lot of different riders and bikes have been strong in the past and if we can repeat our Czech weekend, I know the top five is possible. We’ve had some bad luck the last few years, but the good thing about luck is it always can change! Let’s make the most of this weekend.”
More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
Ducati Lenovo Team: stop at the Cathedral of Speed to reconfirm themselves among the protagonists.
Any time to archive the extraordinary weekend in Brno and it is already time for the Ducati Lenovo Team to fire up the engines again. The MotoGP paddock moves without pause to the Netherlands for the tenth round of the 2026 season, on the circuit that represents the very essence of world motorcycling: the historic TT Circuit Assen. Ducati boasts an incredible streak of successes on this track, starting from the first triumph in 2008 by Stoner, passing through the three splendid consecutive victories of Francesco Bagnaia in 2022, 2023, and 2024, up to the absolute masterpiece achieved by Marc Márquez in 2025.
Marc arrives in Assen after two consecutive victories conquered in the Hungarian and Czech Republic Grands Prix. For the Spaniard, the Dutch track represents a very demanding test from a physical point of view. Despite not being among the tracks that best suit his riding style, Marc has already shown in the past that he can be extremely fast on this layout.
Pecco Bagnaia also approaches the Dutch round being able to count on a solid streak of positive results. With as many as four consecutive podiums to his credit and after having shone in the latest Sprint Race in the Czech Republic, won authoritatively, Pecco finds a track he profoundly loves. Making a further step forward with the Desmosedici GP and continuing to be constantly competitive are the goals.
Marc Márquez #93 Ducati Lenovo Team: “Assen is a beautiful track, extremely fast and technical, but to be honest, it is not one of those tracks that naturally suits my style. Even though I have won here in the past or have still managed to be competitive, I have always struggled a bit on this layout, which by the way is very physical, especially in the changes of direction. I took advantage of these days off to rest and recharge my batteries. As we always do, our goal is to reach the 100% day after day, while managing our strength to keep those remaining energies necessary to give our maximum in Sunday’s race”.
Francesco Bagnaia #63 Ducati Lenovo Team: “On Assen, I don’t think there is much to add: it is a real track, beautiful. It is a circuit where I have always felt comfortable and where I have always managed to ride beautifully. We are coming from Brno with great sensations and a good feeling, so I am sure that here too we can be competitive right from the start and do well in both race distances”.
Circuit Information:
- Country: Netherlands
- Name: TT Circuit Assen
- Circuit record: Bagnaia (Ducati) 01:30.540 – 2024
- Maximum speed: Dovizioso (Ducati), 320.8 km/h – 2019
- Track length: 4,54 km
- Sprint race distance: 13 laps
- Race distance: 26 laps
- Turns: 18 (12 right, 6 left)
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Set for Iconic Assen Challenge. Following last weekend’s Czech GP, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team heads to the TT Circuit Assen for Round 10 on the MotoGP calendar: the Grand Prix of the Netherlands.
There’s no rest for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team as Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins travel straight from Brno to Assen for the next round of the MotoGP calendar. Both riders are eager to reset after a challenging outing and get back to work at one of the most iconic tracks of the season.
Quartararo looks forward to racing at Assen, a circuit where he has enjoyed strong performances throughout his career: a second place in Moto3 in 2015, a second place in Moto2 in 2018, and in MotoGP a third place in 2019, a win in 2021 after a local one-year pandemic hiatus, and a third place in the 2023 Sprint. The Frenchman holds 16th place in the 2026 standings. He aims to capitalise on a track layout that traditionally suits his riding style to score solid results.
Rins also relishes the challenge of the Dutch GP, where he has taken podiums in both the lightweight class and the premier class: a third place in Moto3 in 2013, a second place in Moto3 in 2014, a second place in the MotoGP class in 2018. After a demanding last round in Czechia, the Spaniard is determined to find a better feeling with his Yamaha in the Netherlands. He wants to return to fighting for points and fight his way up from P19 in the overall standings.
TT Circuit Assen, built in 1955, has been a staple of the Motorcycle World Championship since 1949 (with the exception of 2020). Known as “The Cathedral of Speed”, the 4.54 km track features fast, flowing sections and a mix of high- and low-speed corners (six left and twelve right), with the famous Geert Timmer chicane providing a spectacular finale to each lap.
Fabio Quartararo: “Last weekend was not easy, but now we focus on Assen. It’s a track I really enjoy and where I usually feel good on the bike. My goal for the weekend is to ride the bike in a – for me – more enjoyable way. The feeling here is usually positive, so I hope we can make a good step this weekend.”
Alex Rins: “Assen is always special, very flowing and quite technical. After the last race, we want to improve our feeling and be more competitive from the beginning of the weekend. We need to take a step forward so we can fight for points again. If we can find consistency, I think we can have a solid weekend.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director: “After Brno, we move directly to Assen, a track that is very different in layout and character. The key will be to make good use of the Friday morning session to find a strong base setting and build from there. If we can start well, it will help us be more competitive across the race weekend.”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Heads to the Cathedral of Speed for the Dutch TT. MotoGP heads to Assen, one of the most iconic circuits in motorcycle racing. For Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP, the Dutch TT represents another opportunity to continue the progress shown in recent rounds, with Jack Miller returning to the scene of a memorable MotoGP victory and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu tackling a track he knows well from his WorldSBK career.
The MotoGP World Championship moves straight from Brno to Assen, one of the sport‘s most historic and beloved venues. Part of the Grand Prix calendar since the inaugural 1949 season, Assen is often referred to as the “University of Motorcycling” thanks to its complete layout, which combines fast corners, flowing sections, rapid direction changes and technical braking zones. It is a circuit that rewards precision, confidence and adaptability, making it one of the toughest and most respected tests of the season.
For Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP, the Dutch TT offers another important opportunity to continue the development path of the YZR-M1. The team has shown steady progress over recent races and arrives in the Netherlands determined to make the next step that would allow both riders to fight more consistently inside the top ten.
Assen holds a special place in Jack Miller‘s career. It was here, exactly ten years ago, that the Australian secured his first MotoGP victory in one of the biggest surprises of the era, becoming the first non-factory rider in a decade to win a premier-class race. Returning to a circuit filled with positive memories, Miller will be aiming to build on the encouraging signs shown in recent rounds.
For Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Assen is a track he knows well from his years in WorldSBK, where he collected several strong results including victories and podium finishes. As always, however, the challenge will be adapting that experience to the very different demands of a MotoGP machine. With his confidence continuing to grow and the team making steady progress, the Dutch TT provides another valuable opportunity to keep moving forward.
Jack Miller: “I‘m looking forward to heading back to Assen. With back-to-back race weekends there isn‘t much time to reset, but we are ready to get back to work straight away. Assen has always been a special place for me. It‘s hard to believe that ten years have passed since my MotoGP victory there. It was a result that came in unexpected circumstances and it remains one of the most memorable moments of my career. We approach this weekend with an open mind. We know there is still work to do, but we are making progress and I feel that both the bike and our understanding of it are moving in the right direction. The goal is to continue that trend, keep building on the positives from recent races and try to make another step forward this weekend.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “Assen is a circuit I know well from my WorldSBK career, but riding a MotoGP bike here will be a completely different experience. The biggest challenge is adapting my riding style because sometimes I still have the instinct to ride like I did in Superbike, with a more stop-and-go approach, but the MotoGP bike requires something different. Race by race I am understanding the bike better and learning more about the riding style it needs. I feel that I am becoming calmer on the bike and more natural in the way I use the brakes and carry speed through the corners. There is still a lot to learn, but the feeling is improving every weekend. We are continuing to work hard on the areas where we need to improve, and I think there is still another step available to us. If we can find that, it could make a significant difference to our competitiveness. Assen is a special circuit and one that I enjoy. Everyone in the team is motivated, and I am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve this weekend.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director: “Assen is a circuit where outright engine performance tends to matter a little less, so I believe the steps we have made with the electronics and chassis can help us be more competitive. In recent races we have continued to reduce the gap to the front, and our goal is to keep that trend going this weekend. It is also a track where the weather can play an important role. Rain is always a possibility at Assen, but we feel prepared for different conditions and ready to adapt if necessary. If we can continue the progress we have shown over the last few rounds, there is every reason to be confident. The objective remains the same: keep moving closer to the riders ahead and continue building momentum as a team. I also hope to see Jack back where he belongs after a difficult weekend in Brno. He continues to work incredibly hard, providing valuable feedback to Yamaha and the entire team. He deserves a strong weekend, and I am confident he has the potential to fight for points again at Assen.”
More from a press release issued by VR46 Team:
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team heads to Assen. MotoGP returns to action this weekend for the Dutch GP, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is ready to take on the corners of the historic TT Circuit Assen with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli.
Just after wrapping up the Brno weekend, it’s already time to get back on track: MotoGP heads to Assen for the Dutch GP. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team takes on its fourth back-to-back race weekend of the season with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli at the iconic TT Circuit Assen, a track where the Tavullia-based team claimed its first MotoGP podium in 2022 and won the Sprint in 2023.
Di Giannantonio heads to the historic Dutch circuit determined to build on the potential he has shown throughout the first part of the season. Third in the World Standing with 157 points, Fabio and the team are aiming to return to the podium and further establish themselves as key contenders in the championship. At Assen, the rider from Rome secured a second-place finish in 2016 (Moto3) and narrowly missed out on a Sprint podium last year.
Morbidelli approaches the Dutch GP with confidence. He and the team continue to work hard to return to the top positions, and at Assen the goal will be to confirm the progress made in recent races. At the legendary TT Circuit Assen – where Franco claimed victory in 2017 and a podium finish in 2016 in the Moto2 class – he arrives 14th in the World Standing with 43 points.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will hit the track on Friday for free practice, while qualifying will take place on Saturday (10:50 local time). The Sprint race will start at 15:00 (local time) on Saturday, while the Dutch GP will conclude on Sunday with the race, starting at 14:00 (local time).
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO: “Assen is an incredible, historic circuit! It’s also very fast, and I think we’ll be able to bring along many of the setup solutions we tested in Brno. We’re heading to the Netherlands feeling confident, but above all eager to bounce back, because a fourth-place finish is not enough for us. Our goal will be to keep pushing. This weekend will represent another great opportunity to do a consistent job.”
FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “We’re heading to Assen, a circuit with a lot of history and truly one of a kind. It’s a technical and challenging track, but it’s always a pleasure to race there! We’ll arrive in the Netherlands with the same motivation we’ve always had, despite this difficult moment. We’ll work as we have done in recent races, always giving our very best. I’m confident we will find some solutions.”
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