Here are five things we learned from the Dutch GP.<\/p>\n
Trackhouse duo are genuine title contenders\u00a0
\n ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782729071_772_raul-fernandez-trackhouse-raci.jpg\")
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A Trackhouse 1-2 demonstrated the pair’s title credentials<\/p>\n
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
Both\u00a0Ai Ogura<\/a> and Raul Fernandez have been brilliant at times during the year, but it\u2019s only now that they\u2019ve proven that they are capable of leading the factory. And with Marco Bezzecchi<\/a> and Jorge Martin<\/a> still underperforming, the Trackhouse duo have to be seen as genuine title contenders now.<\/p>\n In the case of\u00a0Ogura, a first win had been a long time coming. The consensus was that once he had sorted out his qualifying woes, he would be right up front with the big boys. He should have ideally won in Brno after claiming a fine pole position, but was ultimately powerless to defend against a heroic Marc Marquez<\/a>. This time, however, there was no one who could come in his way, as he rose from sixth on lap 2 to finally claim his maiden win.<\/p>\n Fernandez\u2019s recovery from a bout of appendicitis in Brno was equally impressive and bodes well for his future in\u00a0MotoGP, as Trackhouse looks to re-sign him for another two seasons. While Fernandez is 30 points adrift of his team-mate in the standings, and 55 down on Martin, a weekend like Assen would serve to boost his confidence and put him in a stronger position for the second half of the season.<\/p>\n Bezzecchi\u2019s challenge is crumbling on all fronts Bezzecchi has lost the championship lead for the first time this season<\/p>\n Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n At the start of the year,\u00a0Bezzecchi had developed a pattern of struggling in the sprint before bouncing back emphatically in the grand prix. His lack of sprint wins remained a weakness, but at least he was earning praise for the way he responded under pressure.<\/p>\n Fast forward to the midpoint of the season and\u00a0Bezzecchi can no longer rely on Sunday recoveries. After struggling against both Trackhouse riders and even Fabio di Giannantonio<\/a> on Saturday, he crashed out of the grand prix on the second lap, handing the championship lead to Martin on a plate. In doing so, he brought an early end to what has been a brutal month, with three consecutive grand prix non-finishes severely compromising his title hopes.<\/p>\n While he was an innocent party in the first lap melee at Balaton,\u00a0Bezzecchi faces a much tougher challenge in trying to bounce back from two major self-imposed errors in Brno and\u00a0Assen.<\/p>\n Marquez\u2019s limitations are surfacing again Marquez had to opt for damage limitation at Assen<\/p>\n Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n You could be forgiven for assuming that Marc Marquez would be racing at the sharp end of the grid every weekend after his dominant victories in Hungary and the Czech Republic. While his result on the anti-clockwise Balaton Park Circuit wasn\u2019t a huge surprise, the way he upset the competition at Brno did raise hopes for the remainder of the season.<\/p>\n Ultimately, though, Marquez hasn\u2019t fully recovered after last month\u2019s shoulder surgery, and he was always going to struggle for performance at one of the most physically demanding tracks on the calendar. While his late choice of a soft rear tyre briefly put him in the podium battle, he was eventually the second-slowest rider within the depleted Ducati contingent.<\/p>\n Matters weren\u2019t helped by the Spaniard having to be extra cautious in the race to avoid hurting himself again in\u00a0Assen\u2019s unforgiving gravel traps. Having watched his own brother escape serious injury in practice, the Ducati rider knew the risks were simply too high over the last weekend. Damage limitation was the only logical strategy in his situation.<\/p>\n KTM has its work cut out to fix its reliability woes KTM has some major mechanical issues to solve<\/p>\n Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Alarm bells were already ringing when a sudden electrical problem on Pedro Acosta<\/a>\u2019s bike triggered a crash that left Alex Marquez<\/a> in hospital. But with Acosta suffering three further technical issues across two weekends, serious questions are now being raised about the RC16\u2019s reliability.<\/p>\n Even Acosta admitted there could be potential safety implications after a stuck throttle left him with the \u201cworst feeling on a motorcycle\u201d on Saturday. Worse still, he is yet to receive an explanation for his stoppage in the Czech GP the previous week, prompting him to ask whether such a failure could strike him again. While\u00a0KTM believes a sensor issue was to blame for his twin issues at Assen, the exact cause of his Brno failure remains unresolved.\u00a0<\/p>\n The sporting consequences are also significant, with Acosta slipping to seventh in the standings, 60 points behind Martin, despite being one of the star performers of the season. The Spaniard openly admitted that his lacklustre outing in Saturday\u2019s sprint was down to a lack of track time on the bike.\u00a0<\/p>\n KTM will need to resolve its issues quickly, both to protect its competitiveness and for the safety of the wider grid.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vinales\/KTM spat could give Marini a reprieve\u00a0 Could Vinales’ time in MotoGP be up?<\/p>\n Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Just one weekend ago,\u00a0KTM wanted to give Maverick Vinales time to return to full fitness and show what he is capable of before making a decision on Tech3\u2019s 2027 line-up. However, it now appears that the 10-time grand prix winner will be headed out the door at the end of the year, with Luca Marini<\/a> now emerging as the primary candidate to replace him.<\/p>\n Vinales had already been quite outspoken about the way KTM has handled his situation, and he doubled down on his criticism at Assen, arguing the Austrian manufacturer will be the only party to blame if he is left without a seat next year. The Spaniard cited his absence from the Brno test as proof that KTM has no intention of keeping him in its roster next year.<\/p>\n Tech3 boss\u00a0Guenther Steiner doesn\u2019t think Vinales\u2019 comments are doing him any favours, and Autosport reported over the weekend that Honda exile Marini is now in negotiations for a seat at the French outfit. Such a deal would work well for the Italian, who won\u2019t have to rely on his half-brother Valentino Rossi<\/a> to offer him an opportunity next year. Further, it opens the door for Ducati to place its preferred rider Nicolo Bulega at VR46.<\/p>\n MotoGP has a one-week breather before the final round in Germany ahead of the summer break<\/p>\n Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n We want to hear from you!<\/p>\n Let us know what you would like to see from us in the future.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n![\"MotoGP](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782729078_917_raul-fernandez-trackhouse-raci.jpg\")
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