Quiles and Alonso bring the wins for CFMOTO at stunning Dutch MotoGP Grand Prix
Moto2 and Moto3 wins for CFMOTO
The Grand Prix of The Netherlands was another fast and action-packed round of 2026 MotoGP. The TT Circuit Assen hosted the CFMOTO ‘blue blur’ of speed once again as Max Quiles continued his streak of Moto3 superiority by winning for the sixth time this term. He was joined on the podium by teammate Marco Morelli. In Moto2 David Alonso marked his first success of the year in brilliant style with victory by the closest of margins.
Moto3 got up to speed with both Morelli and Quiles easily into top ten reckoning through practice. Riders sought tows for slipstream but also track references, so positioning became a point of strategy. After the dash through Q2, Quiles left his time attack until the last moment but the approach paid off as he used the group ahead to rasp to Pole Position. It was his third P1 of the season. Morelli was not far behind. The Argentine was 4th quickest and less than half a second from his teammate. 1st and 4th meant Saturday was one of the best qualifying days of the campaign for the CFMOTO Aspar crew.
As per usual, Moto3 opened the agenda on race day. The event circulated TT Circuit Assen for 20 laps. The leading group initially featured 12 riders before the pace and tire degradation saw the podium dispute whittle down to five runners. Both Quiles and Morelli were well poised for the final rush into the last laps and corners; Quiles taking turns to run P1 amidst the frequent position swapping.
Max made the break with three laps to go and reigned over David Almansa to win, and for a ninth podium appearance from the first ten rounds to make a massive 90-point lead in the championship (an advantage of nearly four rounds). Morelli, who impressively increased his speed in the second phase of the race, made sure of 3rd and is 5th in the standings as the CFMOTO Aspar crew sit 1st from 13 teams in the list.
Max Quiles: “Always special to win here and I’m very happy with the race. I was comfortable at the beginning and I didn’t push; I left energy for the end. At one point I knew it was time to push and I saw they were struggling behind so I kept going and could open a gap. I pushed even more on that last lap. This is such a historic track, I watched it a lot on TV and I really wanted to win here. Thanks to the people for cheering a lot. Let’s keep going.”
Marco Morelli: “A super-difficult race. I actually started quite well, which is important for us because in the last few races the starts were a disaster! I managed well today. In the midpoint of the race I had a lot of chatter on the front and lost a lot of grip and I said ‘this is done, I cannot do any more’ but then I noticed if changed my riding style then it was getting better and with less chatter. I adapted and went faster again. In the end, the podium: incredible! At one point I thought I would just be top ten but I did it myself. Thanks to the team for believing in me and we’ve had a few races where we’ve struggled. So, this GP was a gift.”
Moto2 is the next ‘development’ category in the Grand Prix pyramid. Riders moving up from the intense heat of Moto3 steer larger machinery with more options for set-up and electronics. The Dutch Moto2 affair provided a good chance for David Alonso to quickly forget the frustrations of the Czech Grand Prix, where the Columbian led every lap until the last corner. David missed out on the win but the pain was eased by his first trophy of 2026. Alonso’s speed and competitiveness extended from Brno to Assen. He was fastest on Friday and then expertly negotiated Q2 on Saturday to make sure of a second Pole Position in a row. Teammate Daniel Holgado was also optimistic of putting his name back into contention for silverware and the Spaniard qualified 5th fastest for that same slot (the second row) ahead of the 22 laps.
Sunday was bright, dry and slightly cooler compared to the 35+ degree temperatures on Friday and Saturday. Alonso and Holgado thrust forward and into groups pushing for the win. The race pace split the pack into segments and David kept consistent while Daniel struggled a bit more and eventually exceeded track limits to be hit with the Long Lap penalty while running 5th; he finished the race in 6th.
Alonso, who led the middle section of the race, engaged in a three-way slug for victory and made a superb maneuver around the outside of Manuel Gonzalez into the final chicane to take his first 2026 win by a breath-taking 0.024 of a second. David is up to 4th in the world championship standings while Daniel is 6th. The CFMOTO Aspar Azul Marino Team are 2nd from 14 in the Moto2 Teams contest. David Alonso: “I cannot believe it. I have been fighting all season and in my wildest dreams I could not imagine winning here in Assen. I pushed so hard from the first day here. I want to do things well and enjoy, and give all I can to the team and to the people that love me and support me. I went to the front and tried to be more relaxed than in Brno. I tried to make a break and saw it was not possible, so I took a breath and the last two laps were like Moto3 style and I loved it. I was like ‘Ice Man’! I could win on the last corner…and I still don’t know how.”
