Brad Binder Heads to Assen. After the drama of the Czech Grand Prix, MotoGP wastes no time. The paddock rolls straight on to the Netherlands this weekend for Round 10 of 2026, and the legendary TT Circuit Assen — the “Cathedral of Speed” — is exactly the kind of place where Brad Binder and KTM will be hoping to turn their season around.
How Binder Fared at Brno
Last weekend’s Czech Grand Prix summed up KTM’s season so far. Binder brought his RC16 home 12th in Sunday’s Grand Prix, quietly banking points while the headlines were made elsewhere. Teammate Pedro Acosta looked set for a strong fifth before a cruel technical failure on the very last lap ended his race — a gut-punch that underlined KTM’s ongoing search for both speed and reliability.
Up front, reigning champion Marc Marquez won his third race in four to take a big chunk out of the title lead, while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was a high-profile absentee, banned from the Grand Prix after an altercation with a marshal following his Sprint crash. Binder leaves Brno 13th in the championship on 53 points — a tally he will be determined to grow at a circuit that has treated him kindly in the past.
Assen: The Cathedral of Speed
Few venues mean as much to MotoGP as the TT Circuit Assen. It is the oldest event on the calendar and the only circuit to have featured every season since the world championship began in 1949 — missing just 2020 because of the pandemic. In 2025 the venue celebrated 100 years of racing.
At 4.542 km with 18 corners (12 right, 6 left), Assen is fast, flowing and famously light on the brakes. It rewards corner speed, rhythm and front-end confidence rather than brute-force stopping power, with the high-speed Ramshoek and the tight Geert Timmer chicane setting up countless last-lap battles. The current race lap record belongs to Francesco Bagnaia at 1:31.866 — set in 2024, the same year he claimed pole with a stunning 1:30.540. Ducati has won the Dutch Grand Prix four years running, but Assen’s sweeping character could equally suit Aprilia’s nimble RS-GP.
| ⚡ ASSEN FAST FACTS Nickname: The Cathedral of Speed On the calendar since: 1949 (every year except 2020) — the oldest MotoGP event Layout: 4.542 km, 18 corners (12 right, 6 left) Race lap record: 1:31.866 — Francesco Bagnaia (2024) 2026 race distance: Grand Prix 26 laps | Sprint 13 laps Did you know: A first-ever ban on front holeshot devices for race starts debuts this weekend |
A Happy Hunting Ground for Binder
For Binder, Assen has been one of the brighter spots on the calendar. He charged to fourth here in 2021 — one of his standout results that season — and was the leading KTM in 2024 with sixth place. The flowing Dutch layout has tended to suit his smooth, committed style better than the stop-start circuits that have troubled the RC16 this year.
If KTM can unlock a competitive setup, Assen is exactly the kind of track where Binder can drag the bike higher up the order than its raw pace suggests.
Championship Battle Heats Up
Marc Marquez arrives in the Netherlands as the man of the moment, having cut Bezzecchi’s once-commanding advantage from 102 points to just 40 in the space of two rounds. Here’s how the top five line up heading into Assen:
| # | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) | 180 |
| 2 | Jorge Martin (Aprilia) | 172 |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) | 157 |
| 4 | Marc Marquez (Ducati) | 140 |
| 5 | Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) | 134 |
Marquez cannot take over at the top this weekend, but Fabio Di Giannantonio now sits within 23 points of the lead. Bezzecchi will be desperate to steady the ship after his costly Brno, with teammate Jorge Martin lurking just eight points behind.
The Weather Wildcard
One factor could turn the form book on its head: the weather. Forecasts point to mostly dry track sessions, but rain is a genuine threat over the Netherlands on race day — and that is music to the ears of any KTM fan. Binder’s most famous victory, at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix, came from a brave gamble to stay out on slicks as the rain began to fall.
A chaotic, mixed-conditions Dutch Grand Prix would hand the South African exactly the sort of opportunity he relishes. Throw in the new ban on front holeshot devices for race starts, and the grid could be in for a few surprises off the line.
Riders to Watch
- Marc Marquez: Three wins in four races and Ducati’s Assen pedigree make him the clear favourite.
- Marco Bezzecchi: The championship leader needs a clean, drama-free weekend to halt his rivals’ charge.
- Ai Ogura: The form rider of the moment, chasing a maiden MotoGP win and Japan’s first victory in over two decades.
- Brad Binder: A strong Assen history and any hint of rain make the #33 a genuine live outsider.
Our Prediction
Expect Marquez and the Ducatis to be hard to beat, with a resurgent Aprilia and the in-form Ogura ready to pounce if the leaders falter.
For Binder, a top-10 finish is a realistic target on current KTM pace — but if the heavens open on Sunday, don’t be surprised to see the #33 fighting for something far bigger. Assen has a habit of rewarding the brave, and few are braver than Brad Binder.
MotoGP Dutch TT Schedule (CEST — same as SAST)
Friday, 26 June
- 10:45 — MotoGP Free Practice 1
- 15:00–16:00 — MotoGP Practice
Saturday, 27 June
- 10:10–10:40 — MotoGP Free Practice 2
- 10:50 — MotoGP Qualifying (Q1 & Q2)
- 15:00 — MotoGP Tissot Sprint (13 laps)
Sunday, 28 June
- 09:40–09:50 — MotoGP Warm-up
- 14:00 — MotoGP Grand Prix (26 laps)
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