At the Dutch Grand Prix, Ai Ogura returned Japan to the top step of the MotoGP podium for the first time in 22 years since Makoto Tamada.
Ai Ogura has been on the podium repeatedly this season and has finally reached the top step of the podium in MotoGP. He delivered a flawless performance in Assen, securing victory with his signature late-race surge. After overtaking Jorge Martin, he attacked teammate Raul Fernandez a few laps later to take the lead. In the final stages, he was always able to easily extend his lead over the other competitors, winning by two seconds.
It was the first time for a Japanese driver to win for his country since the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix, marking the remarkable achievement of Makoto Tamada. It was another one-two finish this weekend for Trackhouse Racing.
Jorge Martin led the first half of the race, but was unable to hold off the onrushing trackhouse riders. Still, he crossed the line in third place, nearly six seconds behind Fabio Di Giannantonio, the best Ducati of the day.
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Reigning world champion Marc Marquez has announced that the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix will be a matter of “survival”. It was a fast track with lots of changes of direction, which he didn’t really like, but he still managed to secure 6th place. This result was achieved by resisting attacks from his pursuers and somewhat holding back the riders behind him for a significant portion of the race. Teammate Pecco Bagnaia was in provisional fourth place but was forced to retire on lap 15 due to technical problems.
Marco Bezzecchi, on the other hand, suffered his third consecutive disappointing season. After a crash in Hungary and a subsequent suspension in the Czech Republic, the Italian crashed out at Turn 15 just two laps later, leaving him without points for the third consecutive Sunday. The impact was severe and the rider was immediately taken to the circuit’s medical center and then to the hospital.
Fabio Quartararo took advantage of a number of accidents during the race to score a strong 8th place in Assen. This is his first top-10 finish since finishing fifth at the Catalunya Games more than a month ago.
MotoGP 2026 – Dutch Grand Prix
Race classification:
