Marco Bezzecchi Tops Assen FP1 as Marc Marquez Crashes

Marco Bezzecchi made an impressive start to the 2026 Dutch MotoGP weekend by setting the fastest time in Friday's FP1 at Assen, just one week after missing the Czech Grand Prix race due to a suspension.

The Aprilia Racing rider established himself at the top of the timesheets early in the session before reclaiming first place midway through the 45-minute outing. Despite a late challenge from Francesco Bagnaia, Bezzecchi remained unbeaten at the chequered flag.

Jorge Martin also opened the weekend with competitive pace, while Fabio Di Giannantonio, Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez underlined Aprilia's strong start by featuring among the leading runners during the opening practice.

Baca JugaKimi Antonelli Pimpin FP1 Austria, Mercedes Dominan

The session was interrupted by a crash for Marc Marquez, who fell at the final chicane with around 20 minutes remaining. The incident cost the Ducati rider valuable track time as teams continued refining their bike set-ups ahead of the crucial Practice session that decides the automatic Q2 qualifiers.

Diogo Moreira also crashed during FP1, while Alex Rins lost valuable running after mechanical issues delayed the start of his session. Several riders fitted fresh rear tyres in the closing minutes for qualifying-style runs, but none managed to dislodge Bezzecchi from the top of the order.

Bezzecchi's performance marked an encouraging response after a difficult weekend at Brno. Attention now turns to Friday afternoon's Practice, where riders will battle for direct progression into Q2 at the Dutch Grand Prix.