'Aprilia have worked so hard' - Neil Hodgson hails team after Trackhouse one-two for Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura in Grand Prix Netherlands Sprint
Updated 27/06/2026 at 16:08 GMT+1
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TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson was left impressed by the commitment of manufacturer Aprilia after their four top spots on the grid resulted in a one-two for Trackhouse duo Raul Fernandez - who won - and Ai Ogura.
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Fernandez was least fancied of the four Aprilia riders ahead of the weekend, but the Italian manufacturer dominated proceedings at the race in Assen.
Ogura, Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin have all impressed this season.
And Bezzecchi started the weekend five points ahead of his factory team-mate, former world champion Martin.
Ogura has featured prominently in many of the races so far this season, without delivering a race win yet. For Fernandez, it was his second Sprint win of the campaign after his victory at Mugello.
The Aprilia bike is highly rated as the best option around most circuits so far this season, and it was Fernandez who outperformed his peers to land what was ultimately a relatively straightforward win.
Ogura took second place, while third went to VR46 Pertamina rider Fabio Di Giannantonio, who claimed the last spot on the podium.
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Highlights: Fernandez leads Grand Prix Netherlands Sprint one-two for Trackhouse
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Then came Bezzecchi, followed by his stable-mate Martin, as the battle at the top of the standings continued.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the race, Hodgson praised Fernandez for his upset win.
He said: ”If you were going to pick a winner from the start of the four Aprilias, you would not have picked Fernandez.
”His race pace throughout the weekend was strong, but not quite as good as the other Aprilia riders, but he just looked comfortable from the opening laps.”
Last year at this race, Ogura was 16th, while Fernandez did not finish. Hodgson added that the manufacturer deserved credit for improving the bike so quickly, and affording access to the satellite team.
"Crazy how MotoGP changes so quickly,” he continued. "A lot of that is the manufacturer they are using.
"Aprilia have worked so hard, and the fact [is] they give this team the best bikes, the exact same level as the factory bikes. The team-mates have spurred each other on."
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‘A centimetre’ costs Bagnaia sixth spot
The sixth rider over the line was Ducati Lenovo's Francesco Bagnaia, but late on in the final lap he made an unsuccessful move on Bezzecchi, and had to move on to the green part of the track to avoid a collision.
While Bezzecchi was not at fault, because Marc Marquez behind him was within 0.5 seconds of his team-mate, he was given the place, elevating him to sixth.
Bagnaia dropped down into seventh place.
Hodgson explained the event, saying: "It looks like [he went off track limits].
"Pecco [Bagnaia] did everything right, he got the run, but then got squeezed on the curb. There’s a lot going on, you can't be that precise. He looks like a centimetre off line."
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