Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Show Determination in Tough Dutch Sprint
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins started today's Grand Prix of the Netherlands Sprint from P9 and P16 respectively and finished the 13-lap contest in P10 and P15.
GRAND PRIX OF THE NETHERLANDS
SPRINT
TT Circuit Assen (The Netherland), 27th June 2026
10th
F. Quartararo +11.134 / 13 LAPS
15th
Á. Rins +14.513 / 13 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins were engaged in various battles during the Grand Prix of the Netherlands Sprint. Having qualified in P9 and P16 respectively, the teammates ultimately wrapped up the 13-lap dash in P10 and P15.
Quartararo started from P9 and moved up to P7 in the opening corners before settling into eighth on the opening lap. However, the Frenchman was unable to hold the ground he had gained and was demoted to P10 by lap 3. After Acosta also overtook him on lap nine, El Diablo kept pushing and passed Diogo Moreira on lap 10. This allowed Quartararo to hold P10 across the finish line with an 11.134s gap to first.
Rins commenced from P16 and gained a position in the opening stages. He was chasing the three riders fighting for P12, bringing Alex Marquez with him. However, the Yamaha rider couldn't find a way through. He was relegated to P16 when Alex Marquez overtook him on lap 7, but a crash by Morbidelli on lap 12 had him hold 15th place at the chequered flag, 14.513s from the winner.
After today's Sprint, Quartararo is in 16th place in the championship standings with 37 points and Rins in 19th with 12 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are in 10th position in the team classification with 49 points, and Yamaha is 5th in the constructor rankings with 51 points.
The team will be back in action tomorrow for Warm Up, held from 09:40-09:50 (GMT+2), and the 26-lap Race, which starts at 14:00.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"Starting with the positives: Fabio did a great job coming through Q1 to secure ninth place on the grid, which set him up well for the Sprint. Today was the first time starting without the front start device, and Fabio did really well, gaining places early on. However, we weren't quite able to maintain the position against our direct competitors. Nevertheless, he kept pushing and, after overtaking Moreira, he brought the bike home in the top 10. As for Álex: starting from P16 always makes the Sprint particularly challenging, especially in a tightly packed midfield. He made a decent start and stayed with the group, but it was difficult to find the opportunity to move forward in the traffic. For tomorrow, we will focus on maximising our package over the full race distance."
FABIO QUARTARARO Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
"When we have a bit more grip, I can really push to the limit, like we saw in qualifying today. Reaching this limit is really quite complicated, but it's my strong point. But when you don't have that grip at the front and rear, you're at the limit sooner, like in this afternoon's Sprint. But, for me, the start without the start devices was good."
ÁLEX RINS Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
"All things considered, it was not bad honestly. I managed to do a great start without the start device, recovering some positions – it was not bad at all. The situation changed in the final five laps. I think the temperatures of the tyres became super high. I couldn't push as much on the front for turning. I was able to do 1'33-lows and 1'32-highs. Tomorrow will be tougher, but we will deliver the best performance possible."
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director