Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP faces a demanding opening day at Assen as both riders head to Q1

Extreme temperatures and a consequent lack of grip made for a challenging first day at the Dutch TT, leaving Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu 19th and 20th respectively. Both riders will now look to fight their way into Q2 through Saturday's Q1 session.

GRAND PRIX OF THE NETHERLANDS

PRACTICE

Assen (Netherlands), 26th June 2026

19th

JACK MILLER
1'32.425 / 17 LAPS

20th

TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU
1'32.593 / 18 LAPS

The opening day of the Dutch TT at Assen proved to be a difficult one for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP, with unusually high temperatures creating challenging conditions throughout Friday's Practice. In fact, today marked the hottest 26th of June ever recorded in the Netherlands, underlining just how extreme the conditions were. After encouraging signs heading into the weekend, both Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu were targeting a direct place in Q2, but the extreme heat significantly reduced grip levels and made the session particularly demanding for everyone on track.

The high track temperatures offered very little grip, causing tyres to overheat quickly and making the circuit increasingly slippery as the session progressed. The difficult conditions caught out several riders across the field, underlining just how demanding the afternoon had become.

Both Miller and Razgatlıoğlu managed to stay clear of crashes, but neither was able to extract the performance needed for a place inside the top ten. Miller finished the day in 19th position, while Razgatlıoğlu ended Practice 20th after also struggling to find the grip required to improve.

Saturday's objective is now clear: both riders will have to battle through Q1 in an attempt to secure one of the two available places in Q2 before focusing on the Sprint Race later in the day.

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JACK MILLER
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider

It was one of those sessions where there’s not a lot to report because we had quite a few yellow flags and a red flag, which meant we lost time on track and couldn’t really put a proper lap together.

The bike itself is quite solid. We are only one or two tenths off in the first three sectors, but we are losing everything in the final sector, especially in the last chicane, where we really need to improve the electronics.

At the moment we need to work towards finding the clean exit I need. It’s something we’ve been trying to improve all day, and although we made a small step compared to this morning, it’s not enough yet.

If we can clean up that last sector, we should be much more competitive tomorrow. The rest of the bike feels quite good, so we just need to put everything together.

TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider

It’s good to be back at Assen. Friday has been consistent with other weekends, and while we haven’t yet achieved a standout result, we are continuing to work step by step in the right direction. I’m riding at the limit and doing my best, with a pace around 32.5, but I’m aiming for 31s and at the moment it’s not quite there.

We are still facing some issues, including an electronic problem that doesn't involve engine braking, like we had in some other races. If we can improve that for tomorrow, I think we can make a big step, because I lose around half a second in just two or three corners while our pace is good in the rest of the track.

This circuit is very technical with fewer heavy braking points for a MotoGP bike, so it’s not easy for our package. But I believe if we solve a few key areas, we can close the gap.

It’s always special here with so many Turkish fans, and I hope to see them again supporting us tomorrow in the heat.