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Marc Marquez wins after a crash in wild flag-to-flag Jerez MotoGP sprint
Marc Marquez took a sensational second sprint win of the season in wet conditions
Marc Marquez came from a crash to win a dramatic flag-to-flag sprint at the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix, as championship leader Marco Bezzecchi failed to finish.
There had never been a flag-to-flag sprint since the format was introduced in 2023 before today, with Marc Marquez converting a first pole of the year to his second Saturday victory.
But he did so after crashing out of second as the rainfall intensified with five laps remaining, forcing him into pitlane to change to his wet bike.
He joined the likes of Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia and KTM’s Brad Binder in swapping machines, with a mistake for the latter opening the door for Marquez to challenge for victory.
A daring pass on Bagnaia with three laps to go returned Marquez to the lead, with the reigning champion streaking 3.050s clear to the chequered flag.
Bagnaia came from 15th in the dry to claim a first sprint podium of the season, while Franco Morbidelli finished third for VR46 after starting 18th.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi’s sprint began disastrously, as a tear-off strip led to him getting wheelspin off the line and dropping him from fourth to 17th.
He would ultimately crash in the closing stages after swapping to his wet bike. Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin retired early with a technical issue.
Alex Marquez took the lead from Marc Marquez with six laps to go, but he would get caught out by the worsening rain and crashed two tours later while running first.
Marc Marquez grabbed the holeshot from pole, as the race began in dry conditions, albeit with spots of rain beginning to appear.
Alex Marquez quickly moved through on second-place starter Johann Zarco to begin the chase on Marc Marquez, who was 0.7s clear at the start of lap three.
The Gresini rider wiped away his older brother’s advantage over the next few laps, with Marc Marquez appearing to run more cautiously as the rain worsened.
Alex Marquez made a move for the lead at Turn 9 with six laps of the 12-tour sprint remaining, with Marc Marquez then falling seconds later at the final turn.
Marc Marquez then cut over the grass from the final corner to get into pitlane and swap to his wet bike, with Bagnaia, Binder, Morbidelli and Yamaha’s Alex Rins also coming in.
Binder effectively exited pitlane as the net leader, with the riders ahead yet to stop with the track conditions getting worse under heavier rain.
Alex Marquez led VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio on slick tyres, but the former fell at Turn 8, with the latter swapping bikes at the end of lap nine.
Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer stayed out when the rest of the slick runners pitted, while net wet tyre leader Binder made an error at Turn 2 at the start of lap 10.
This handed the effective race lead to the factory Ducati duo of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, who swapped places at Turn 9 after the latter staged a brave lunge.
Marquez then eased to his 17th career sprint win, moving him into fourth in the standings and 24 points from the lead.
Binder would finish fourth behind Morbidelli and Bagnaia, while Di Giannantonio salvaged fifth after his late stop ahead of Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez.
Fabio Quartararo was seventh on the leading Yamaha, with Zarco eighth and Honda’s Luca Marini claiming the final point.
Honda’s Joan Mir crashed out, along with Bezzecchi, Lorenzo Savadori and Toprak Razgatlioglu, with the latter two tangling at Turn 5.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta also fell in the closing stages, but remounted to finish 12th.
Bezzecchi holds onto the championship lead despite his non-finish, with the Italian leading Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin by four points.
Full 2026 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix sprint results
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Marc Marquez took a sensational second sprint win of the season in wet conditions
Marc Marquez came from a crash to win a dramatic flag-to-flag sprint at the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix, as championship leader Marco Bezzecchi failed to finish.
There had never been a flag-to-flag sprint since the format was introduced in 2023 before today, with Marc Marquez converting a first pole of the year to his second Saturday victory.
But he did so after crashing out of second as the rainfall intensified with five laps remaining, forcing him into pitlane to change to his wet bike.
He joined the likes of Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia and KTM’s Brad Binder in swapping machines, with a mistake for the latter opening the door for Marquez to challenge for victory.
A daring pass on Bagnaia with three laps to go returned Marquez to the lead, with the reigning champion streaking 3.050s clear to the chequered flag.
Bagnaia came from 15th in the dry to claim a first sprint podium of the season, while Franco Morbidelli finished third for VR46 after starting 18th.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi’s sprint began disastrously, as a tear-off strip led to him getting wheelspin off the line and dropping him from fourth to 17th.
He would ultimately crash in the closing stages after swapping to his wet bike. Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin retired early with a technical issue.
Alex Marquez took the lead from Marc Marquez with six laps to go, but he would get caught out by the worsening rain and crashed two tours later while running first.
Marc Marquez grabbed the holeshot from pole, as the race began in dry conditions, albeit with spots of rain beginning to appear.
Alex Marquez quickly moved through on second-place starter Johann Zarco to begin the chase on Marc Marquez, who was 0.7s clear at the start of lap three.
The Gresini rider wiped away his older brother’s advantage over the next few laps, with Marc Marquez appearing to run more cautiously as the rain worsened.
Alex Marquez made a move for the lead at Turn 9 with six laps of the 12-tour sprint remaining, with Marc Marquez then falling seconds later at the final turn.
Marc Marquez then cut over the grass from the final corner to get into pitlane and swap to his wet bike, with Bagnaia, Binder, Morbidelli and Yamaha’s Alex Rins also coming in.
Binder effectively exited pitlane as the net leader, with the riders ahead yet to stop with the track conditions getting worse under heavier rain.
Alex Marquez led VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio on slick tyres, but the former fell at Turn 8, with the latter swapping bikes at the end of lap nine.
Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer stayed out when the rest of the slick runners pitted, while net wet tyre leader Binder made an error at Turn 2 at the start of lap 10.
This handed the effective race lead to the factory Ducati duo of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, who swapped places at Turn 9 after the latter staged a brave lunge.
Marquez then eased to his 17th career sprint win, moving him into fourth in the standings and 24 points from the lead.
Binder would finish fourth behind Morbidelli and Bagnaia, while Di Giannantonio salvaged fifth after his late stop ahead of Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez.
Fabio Quartararo was seventh on the leading Yamaha, with Zarco eighth and Honda’s Luca Marini claiming the final point.
Honda’s Joan Mir crashed out, along with Bezzecchi, Lorenzo Savadori and Toprak Razgatlioglu, with the latter two tangling at Turn 5.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta also fell in the closing stages, but remounted to finish 12th.
Bezzecchi holds onto the championship lead despite his non-finish, with the Italian leading Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin by four points.
Full 2026 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix sprint results
Marc Marquez came from a crash to win a dramatic flag-to-flag sprint at the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix, as championship leader Marco Bezzecchi failed to finish.
There had never been a flag-to-flag sprint since the format was introduced in 2023 before today, with Marc Marquez converting a first pole of the year to his second Saturday victory.
But he did so after crashing out of second as the rainfall intensified with five laps remaining, forcing him into pitlane to change to his wet bike.
He joined the likes of Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia and KTM’s Brad Binder in swapping machines, with a mistake for the latter opening the door for Marquez to challenge for victory.
A daring pass on Bagnaia with three laps to go returned Marquez to the lead, with the reigning champion streaking 3.050s clear to the chequered flag.
Bagnaia came from 15th in the dry to claim a first sprint podium of the season, while Franco Morbidelli finished third for VR46 after starting 18th.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi’s sprint began disastrously, as a tear-off strip led to him getting wheelspin off the line and dropping him from fourth to 17th.
He would ultimately crash in the closing stages after swapping to his wet bike. Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin retired early with a technical issue.
Alex Marquez took the lead from Marc Marquez with six laps to go, but he would get caught out by the worsening rain and crashed two tours later while running first.
Marc Marquez grabbed the holeshot from pole, as the race began in dry conditions, albeit with spots of rain beginning to appear.
Alex Marquez quickly moved through on second-place starter Johann Zarco to begin the chase on Marc Marquez, who was 0.7s clear at the start of lap three.
The Gresini rider wiped away his older brother’s advantage over the next few laps, with Marc Marquez appearing to run more cautiously as the rain worsened.
Alex Marquez made a move for the lead at Turn 9 with six laps of the 12-tour sprint remaining, with Marc Marquez then falling seconds later at the final turn.
Marc Marquez then cut over the grass from the final corner to get into pitlane and swap to his wet bike, with Bagnaia, Binder, Morbidelli and Yamaha’s Alex Rins also coming in.
Binder effectively exited pitlane as the net leader, with the riders ahead yet to stop with the track conditions getting worse under heavier rain.
Alex Marquez led VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio on slick tyres, but the former fell at Turn 8, with the latter swapping bikes at the end of lap nine.
Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer stayed out when the rest of the slick runners pitted, while net wet tyre leader Binder made an error at Turn 2 at the start of lap 10.
This handed the effective race lead to the factory Ducati duo of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, who swapped places at Turn 9 after the latter staged a brave lunge.
Marquez then eased to his 17th career sprint win, moving him into fourth in the standings and 24 points from the lead.
Binder would finish fourth behind Morbidelli and Bagnaia, while Di Giannantonio salvaged fifth after his late stop ahead of Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez.
Fabio Quartararo was seventh on the leading Yamaha, with Zarco eighth and Honda’s Luca Marini claiming the final point.
Honda’s Joan Mir crashed out, along with Bezzecchi, Lorenzo Savadori and Toprak Razgatlioglu, with the latter two tangling at Turn 5.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta also fell in the closing stages, but remounted to finish 12th.
Bezzecchi holds onto the championship lead despite his non-finish, with the Italian leading Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin by four points.
Full 2026 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix sprint results
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