Aprilia rider Jorge Martin secured his first pole position of the season at the TT Circuit Assen on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
He clocked the fastest single-lap time of 1:30.812 amidst extreme track temperatures.
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The Spanish rider managed the blistering conditions effectively.
He outstripped championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and Japanese competitor Ai Ogura, who secured second place on the front row by trailing Martin by a mere 11 thousandths of a second.
Extreme Heat Challenges Riders
The intense heat on the track peaked at 32 degrees Celsius.
It proved less disruptive than during Friday's practice sessions, when higher temperatures caused numerous crashes, including one involving Martin himself.
"Assen felt more like a volcano than a racetrack," said Jorge Martin.
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The high track temperatures also drew roughly 60,000 visitors to the TT Festival during the warm transition from Friday night to Saturday.
This led organizers to cancel the scheduled TT Nightride event.
In the provisional standings, Bezzecchi maintains his championship lead by an eight-point margin over Martin.
This is despite starting from the third position on the grid after finishing 33 thousandths of a second behind the pole-sitter.
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Defending world champion Marc Marquez, who secured victories in the preceding two races and won at Assen last year, will start Sunday's race from the third row after qualifying in seventh place.