Jorge Martin Takes MotoGP Lead After Assen 2026 Podium

Jorge Martin moved into the lead of the 2026 MotoGP standings after finishing third at the 2026 Assen MotoGP, capitalising on Marco Bezzecchi's early crash.

The Aprilia Racing rider heads into the two-week break before the German MotoGP with a seven-point championship advantage. It marks a remarkable turnaround for Martin, who missed the first preseason test through injury and was unsure whether he would even be able to start the opening round in Buriram.

"I'm really happy to be in the leadership. Six months ago I didn't know if I was able to start the season. I missed the first test and now I'm leading the championship. It's crazy, really huge," Martin said.

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Martin led the early laps at Assen but could not match the pace of the two Trackhouse Aprilia riders, Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez. Ogura went on to claim victory, Fernandez finished second, and Martin secured the final podium position.

Martin admitted he expected the Trackhouse riders to arrive because the gap never grew beyond a few tenths. He focused on running his own race but felt he had nothing extra to fight with once Ogura and Fernandez began attacking.

"I'm really happy about my performance today because we improved a lot from the Sprint. I was leading for many laps. I knew the Trackhouse riders were coming because I was pushing, but the gap was always 0.2 or 0.3 seconds. I was doing my own race and trying to deliver my best pace," he explained.

Although Martin considered fighting Fernandez for second in the closing laps, he identified fast corners as his main limitation compared to the Trackhouse riders. He felt he was riding smoothly and consistently, but the time lost through the high-speed sections prevented him from launching a stronger attack.

"I tried to stay constant and at least go with them. In the final laps I thought about second place because Ai was gone and Raul was struggling, but I was suffering a lot in the fast corners. There is always room to improve and always something we need to focus on," Martin said.

Martin also regarded the Assen podium as important because he improved his feeling with the bike after losing front-end confidence since Barcelona. His main target for the weekend was to regain trust in both the front and rear, although he admitted he still suffered more in the heat compared to the other Aprilias.

In the title context, Martin insisted that his previous championship-winning experience is not yet a decisive advantage. He believes speed remains the central factor, with experience only becoming more relevant if he is still in contention during the final two or three races of the season.

"Experience is always something, but it's a matter of speed. If you have the speed, you will fight for races. At the moment I just want to take the most from every weekend and focus on improving my speed," Martin concluded.