The dramatic last 5 minutes of MotoGP Q2 at the 2026 Dutch GP

Breaks up the Aprilia party but for how much longer because Jorge Martín charging here potentially towards what would be his 21st MotoGP pole position. Bersseke's lap time has gone away but Martín look at this from the 2024 world champion. It is a beaut. A 1.34.812 has put Martín on pole. He did it behind his teammate Marco Bersseke who was the perfect outline, the perfect reference ahead of him there. Martín then snatches provisional pole. I was about to say we saw a KTM going slowly. Once again, it's Pedro Acosta. He was on a very good lap. I think he might have been the rider that brought out those yellow flags which impeded Bersseke and yet another KTM breaking down on Pedro Acosta. Same place. Well, I'm speechless. Yeah, this is not a replay of free practice to viewers. This is the second time this morning that Acosta's KTM has given up the ghost at turn 12. Exact same. The engine is still running. You could hear it's still running. He's back in neutral and he's just along for the ride. Your heart goes out. You've got to spare a thought for Acosta because every time that KTM runs, he is wringing the absolute neck out of it. He is giving his all. I mean, he's been the standout rider hasn't he for the last two, three years at KTM but at what point does the patience snap? At what point does he just lose his cool? He's done a very good job of being rather diplomatic about all these sort of tech issues but he's going to blow eventually. I mean, this is embarrassing for KTM. Here comes Marco Bersseke who misses out by three one hundredths of a second. I think he was the rider. Those momentary yellow flags flashed in front of Bersseke so he had to bail out of the previous lap and is that going to potentially cost him pole position? It's still Martín Bersseke Fernández, the front row of the grid. to get himself onto the front row. He climbs one place into fifth. Two mechanicals in two days, Acosta. Any points in Brno. Two mechanicals in less than two hours here in Assen. Ralf Fernández back on the front row. Cracking lap, a 1.30.915. That has squeezed Bagnani back onto row two in fourth place. Super, super close he is on those first two rows. Not even a tenth and a half covering the top six. Martín Bersseke, Ralf Fernández. You're second all the pretty front row in the last four Grand Prix's potentially. Row two currently Bagnani, Aguero and the Gianantonio. Acosta who's out of this session. Frustratingly out of this session once again through absolutely no fault of his own. He's going to be hoping that he can hold on to seventh place right now and lead that third row of the grid. Marquez then is still in 11th 13. The current estimation is that it will only lift him up one place from 11th to 10th. Let's see if the world champion can produce something special through the final chicane where he has already crashed once already this weekend. The line is approaching him now. Marquez climbs four places ahead of his future teammate. He's now seventh. It could be a season worth qualifying for the reigning world champion. His lowest so far this year was a sixth at his beloved Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Ralf Fernández, Jorge Martín. This is not a given that Martín is going to secure that 21st Manor GP pole position because Fernández is on the charge once again. This is sector four where the Aprilia works a treat. The Aprilia works a dream in this part of the circuit. Through the timber chicane he goes. Ralf Fernández then. Currently Aguero has gone second and Ralf Fernández does snatch it late on. A 1.30.769 from Ralf Fernández. Aprilia now lock out not just the front row, they lock out the top four. Oh, it's lap time to be cancelled though, Matt. Lap time cancelled for track limits. They do still lock out the top four but Ralf Fernández I think has just seen it on the screen. He's gone from provisional pole back down to fourth again. Wow. Drama. Drama in the extreme here in this session in Q2 here in Aston. So Ralf Fernández thought he had set the pole time and now it's been reinstated. It's back on our screens again. Oh no, now it's back. No, hang on. We've got a bit of a timing glitch here. Final chicane was where he breached it. Turn 18. So that's coming out of the Goethe-Timmer chicane and that with metres to the finish line and metres away from pole position, Ralf Fernández touching the green. He's on pole. No, he isn't. He's on pole. No, he isn't. Unfortunately, Raul, you aren't at this stage. What about Marc Marquez trying to get himself on those first two rows of the grid and he can't do it. Marc Marquez can't do it. 131.131. A shake of the head there from Davide Tardozzi and that's game over. Marc Marquez then it is going to be a season-worst starting position of seventh on the grid for the world champion. Stuck behind an Armada of Aprilius. Aprilia then. What a day they have had. Marco Berseke's domination of this Dutch Grand Prix has finally ended. He's going to be on the front row of the grid row in third place. But after taking their historic first ever all front row in Mugello recently. Aprilia with Jorge Martín on pole for the 21st time in his career. His first pole since Australia back in 2024. This is the decisive moment. How close is it? Oh, just the right hand side of that rear tire. Just scraping the green. That has cost Ralf Fernandes pole position. He has not denied though Aprilia their best ever qualifying performance. Martín is your pole sitter here in Assen. The front row and another Aprilia lockout. Agüero second, Berseke third. And for the first time in Grand Prix history, four Aprilias will start from the top four with Ralf Fernandes in fourth place. Catch him if you can. Yeah, there is no catching them at the moment so far this weekend. Berseke's unbeaten weekend is over. But Aprilia's is not. And a first Aprilia pole for Jorge Martín who felt like the outsider of the four Aprilias coming into this session. But never underestimate Martín's ability to produce magic on a qualifying lap. MotoGP pole number 37. Mark Marquez then for only the second time as a factory Ducati rider finds himself on the third row of the grid. Tough, tough lap for Jorge Martín. Yeah, of course pole number 21. It's his 37th podium that he's chasing tomorrow. Getting a little caught up in the excitement of Martín's first pole position for the Nuwali factory. And Ralf Fernandes will be feeling a little bit bitter with envy with that because he's the odd one out on the front row of the grid. And all Aprilia front row he has to settle for fourth place. The pace was there but through mere millimetres Ralf Fernandes goes from pole down to fourth. It's another absolute calamity for KTM. Pedro Acosta through no fault of his own. Last weekend in Aston there was no points after technical issues came his way in the sprint on the Grand Prix. More issues for Acosta see him dumped down to eighth place in that session. He's going to be starting this Grand Prix alongside his future factory Ducati teammate Marc Marquez. Pole position then number 21 for Jorge Martín in his Manor GP career.