Misano, Italy, September 12, 2026: Marc Marquez bounced back from Marco Bezzecchi’s pole position to claim victory in the Tissot Sprint at the 2026 San Marino MotoGP, beating the Aprilia Racing rider in a tense battle at the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera.

The Ducati Lenovo Team rider made the perfect getaway from the front row, grabbing the holeshot into Turn 1 and immediately taking control of the 13-lap Sprint. Marquez resisted early pressure from home favourite Bezzecchi and crossed the line at the end of Lap 1 in the lead.

Bezzecchi had started the day on a high after securing a brilliant pole position at Misano, but Marquez quickly demonstrated his Sprint-race pace. The reigning World Champion began to build a small advantage while Bezzecchi remained within striking distance.

Championship leader Jorge Martin also made a strong start, moving up to fourth early in the race. The Aprilia Racing rider eventually settled into third as the championship battle added another layer of tension to the fight at the front.

The opening laps also featured an aggressive battle between Fermin Aldeguer and Pedro Acosta. The two riders exchanged positions and came close to making contact from Turn 2 through Turn 6 before continuing their fight at Turn 10. Aldeguer ultimately lost several places, dropping behind Alex Marquez, Acosta and Raul Fernandez.

Marquez appeared to have the race under control midway through the Sprint. A 1:30.763s lap extended his advantage over Bezzecchi to 1.1 seconds, while Bezzecchi responded with a 1:30.846s lap on Lap 6.

However, the Aprilia rider refused to give up. Bezzecchi gradually reduced the gap to around half a second with five laps remaining, while Marquez slipped back into the 1:31s.

The Ducati rider responded immediately, returning to the 1:30s on the following lap, but Bezzecchi remained close. With two laps to go, Marquez produced the fastest lap of the Sprint and set a new race lap record to finally break clear of his Aprilia rival.

The victory was particularly significant for Marquez after his Sprint error at Misano last year. This time, the Ducati rider converted pole position into a lights-to-flag victory, securing his sixth Sprint win of the 2026 MotoGP season and taking another important step towards the championship lead.

Bezzecchi secured second place for his first top-two Sprint finish of the season, while teammate Martin completed the podium in third, 2.4 seconds behind the race winner.

Fabio Di Giannantonio finished fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium, with Alex Marquez completing the top five.

Acosta recovered to sixth after his early battle with Aldeguer, followed by Raul Fernandez and Aldeguer in seventh and eighth respectively. Luca Marini completed the points-paying positions in ninth.

Johann Zarco finished 10th, while Diogo Moreira was 11th and Franco Morbidelli 12th. Two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia endured another difficult Sprint, finishing 13th and outside the points.

Fabio Quartararo was also unable to score. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider crashed on Lap 3 while attempting to pass Moreira at Turn 14.

With the Sprint victory, Marquez takes another significant haul of championship points and continues to close the gap at the top of the MotoGP standings. Bezzecchi’s second-place finish gives the home crowd plenty to celebrate, while Martin’s third place limits the damage to his championship advantage ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.

2026 San Marino MotoGP Sprint – Complete Results

1. Marc Marquez – Ducati Lenovo Team
2. Marco Bezzecchi – Aprilia Racing
3. Jorge Martin – Aprilia Racing
4. Fabio Di Giannantonio – Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
5. Alex Marquez – BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
6. Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
7. Raul Fernandez – SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team
8. Fermin Aldeguer – BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
9. Luca Marini – Honda HRC Castrol
10. Johann Zarco – Castrol Honda LCR
11. Diogo Moreira – Pro Honda LCR
12. Franco Morbidelli – Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
13. Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team

Did not score: Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (crashed, Lap 3)

Marquez’s victory sets up another fascinating Sunday showdown at Misano, with Bezzecchi expected to challenge strongly on home soil and Martin looking to protect his championship lead.