Marc Marquez won the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera at Misano to level the MotoGP World Championship with Jorge Martin at 274 points apiece, his 78th premier-class victory arriving in front of a record 184,051 spectators across the weekend. Marco Bezzecchi, on pole and leading, crashed out at Turn 13 before completing Lap 1, handing Marquez a lead he surrendered only once, to Martin on Lap 7, before reclaiming it on Lap 12 and holding off a fast-finishing Alex Marquez to the flag. Pedro Acosta completed the podium for Red Bull KTM, Fermin Aldeguer’s fourth place meant three Ducatis filled the top four, and Martin fell to fifth, still enough to stay level with Marquez at the top of the standings. Francesco Bagnaia’s afternoon ended early when he crashed at Turn 2 on Lap 6, unhurt.
Key Points: MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix 2026
- Marc Marquez claims his 78th premier-class victory, 11 short of Valentino Rossi’s all-time record of 89, and levels the championship with Jorge Martin at 274 points each
- Marco Bezzecchi crashes out of the lead at Turn 13 on Lap 1, becoming the fourth different championship leader of 2026 to see his title bid dented at Misano
- Three Ducatis finish inside the top four: Marc Marquez first, Alex Marquez second on a Marco Simoncelli tribute livery, Fermin Aldeguer fourth
- Pedro Acosta takes third, his 15th premier class podium and an extended record for the most podiums without a win
- Francesco Bagnaia crashes out on Lap 6 at Turn 2 while running tenth, his championship position now 131 points behind teammate Marquez
- A record 184,051 spectators attend the Misano weekend, the biggest crowd in the circuit’s history
Bezzecchi’s Race Ends at Turn 13
Bezzecchi held pole and defended into Turn 1 to lead from Marquez, who started second. He was still out front when he crashed at Turn 13 before the end of Lap 1, the home favourite and championship contender’s race over before it had properly begun. Marquez inherited the lead and held it for the next six laps, Martin sitting a fraction behind and Alex Marquez working past Acosta to join the queue. The crash was Bezzecchi’s heaviest hit of the season to his title challenge, dropping him to third in the standings, 33 points off the top.
Martin’s Lap 7 Move
Martin, starting fifth, worked his way onto Marquez’s rear wheel and made the move at Turn 4 on Lap 7, taking a lead that lasted five laps. Alex Marquez was close behind, unable to find a way past his brother but keeping the pressure on both men in front of him.
Marquez Retakes the Lead
Marquez closed back onto Martin, and at Turn 6 on Lap 12 the move went the other way. From there his lead grew steadily. Alex Marquez passed Martin at the same corner two laps later, then Acosta found a way through at Turn 8 on Lap 16 to demote the Aprilia rider off the podium altogether. Aldeguer completed the sequence, moving into fourth as the laps ran into the twenties, and Martin fell away to fifth by the flag.
Alex Marquez chipped away at his brother’s advantage in the closing laps, the gap down to half a second with two to go, but Marquez held his pace to cross the line 0.657 seconds clear for his 78th premier-class win, 11 short of Valentino Rossi’s all-time record of 89.
“We had a good race and I’m happy, especially since Misano is the home race for Ducati, but it was a tough one. When you race with this kind of pace, it’s easy to make a mistake. This is the reason why, when I saw Bezzecchi’s crash, I planned the race in a different way and maybe I relaxed a bit too much. Little by little, I went back to my best pace and recovered the feeling I had yesterday. At this track, if you aren’t a lot faster than the rider ahead, it is hard to overtake.”
Marc Marquez – Ducati Lenovo Team, San Marino Grand Prix 2026
Ducati’s General Manager was similarly pleased with how the day unfolded on home ground.
“It’s been another great weekend after Aragon and obviously even more special as this is the home event for Ducati, and it was important to score a good result in front of our fans. Marc had an extraordinary race. I think he has learned how to manage everything, including his body. It’s true that we are on top of the standings but we have done nothing yet: we must keep both feet on the ground.”
Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager, San Marino Grand Prix 2026
Acosta’s Record-Extending Charge
Acosta’s third place is his 15th premier class podium, extending his own lead as the KTM rider with the most podiums in the class, ahead of teammate Brad Binder’s career tally of 11. Binder himself finished eleventh on the day. Acosta’s result also extends a separate record: most premier class podiums without a win, now ahead of Colin Edwards.
Alex Marquez and Aldeguer: A Family Result at Home
Alex Marquez took second on a special Marco Simoncelli tribute livery for Gresini’s home round, his second podium of the year alongside an earlier win at Jerez. It is the first Marquez brothers 1-2 since Catalunya last year, when Alex finished ahead of Marc. This time the order was reversed. Aldeguer’s fourth completed a strong day for the team.
Bagnaia’s Race Ends Early
Bagnaia had made up places from a grid slot in row five and was running tenth when he crashed at Turn 2 on Lap 6. Bagnaia was unhurt. It leaves Bagnaia 131 points behind his teammate in the championship with eight rounds still to run.
“I’m really sorry for the crash, because my crew is working really hard to put me in the position to do well. There are still eight events left and I hope we’ll be able to change the momentum of the season. I’m pushing hard, especially during the race, but unfortunately the lack of feeling leads to mistakes any time I try something different.”
Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team, San Marino Grand Prix 2026
Battle in the Pack
Raul Fernandez took sixth for SuperFile Trackhouse, ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio in seventh and Enea Bastianini in eighth. Luca Marini completed the top ten for Honda. Quartararo moved up from twelfth on the grid as incidents unfolded ahead of him, running ninth by Lap 6 before Bastianini passed him on Lap 14, the Frenchman holding on for tenth at the flag, 23.229 seconds off the win. Binder finished eleventh, and Razgatlioglu worked forward from the back of the grid to twelfth, a recovery he rated well above the result on paper. Morbidelli finished thirteenth and Espargaro fourteenth. Rins climbed from twentieth to sixteenth inside the first six laps before retiring on Lap 17, unable to continue after feeling unwell. Zarco, Mir, Moreira and Miller were all classified as not finishing, Miller’s race ending on Lap 2 in a crash while battling for position. None of the incidents resulted in reported injury.
Full Classification: San Marino Grand Prix 2026
| Pos | Rider | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Ducati Lenovo Team | 41:13.013 |
| 2 | Alex Marquez | BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP | +0.657 |
| 3 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | +2.326 |
| 4 | Fermin Aldeguer | BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP | +6.027 |
| 5 | Jorge Martin | Aprilia Racing | +14.021 |
| 6 | Raul Fernandez | SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team | +18.252 |
| 7 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | +20.581 |
| 8 | Enea Bastianini | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | +20.858 |
| 9 | Luca Marini | Honda HRC Castrol | +22.911 |
| 10 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team | +23.229 |
| 11 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | +23.905 |
| 12 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP | +28.031 |
| 13 | Franco Morbidelli | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | +28.927 |
| 14 | Pol Espargaro | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | +31.792 |
Not classified: Johann Zarco (crashed, rider OK, 3 laps down), Alex Rins (retired, feeling unwell, 11 laps down), Francesco Bagnaia (crashed, rider OK, 22 laps down), Joan Mir (retired, 22 laps down), Diogo Moreira (crashed, rider OK, 25 laps down), Jack Miller (crashed and retired, rider OK, 26 laps down). Not finished first lap: Marco Bezzecchi (crashed, rider OK). Pole: Marco Bezzecchi, 1’29.982. Fastest lap: Fermin Aldeguer, Lap 22, 1’30.936.
Championship Picture: San Marino Grand Prix 2026
Marquez and Martin now sit level at the top of the World Championship on 274 points apiece, Marquez taking over as the classification leader after a season that has already had four different riders at the top. He has closed a 102-point deficit to Bezzecchi that stood as recently as the Italian Grand Prix, and since his 2013 debut every season in which he has led the championship, he has gone on to win it. Bezzecchi drops to third, 33 points back. Ducati Lenovo Team sit second in the teams’ standings on 417 points, while Ducati as a manufacturer have moved ahead of Aprilia at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, 412 points to 410, after Aprilia had led since Thailand.
| Pos | Rider | Team | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Ducati Lenovo Team | 274 | Leader |
| 2 | Jorge Martin | Aprilia Racing | 274 | Level |
| 3 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | 241 | -33 |
| 4 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | 223 | -51 |
| 5 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 209 | -65 |
Top five shown, standings after the San Marino Grand Prix 2026. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth on 143 points, 131 points behind teammate Marquez.
Coffee Corner Take
274 points each. That is where this title fight sits heading to Austria, and Marquez arrives with the momentum.
Bezzecchi’s crash at Turn 13 cost him more than a shot at 25 points on his own soil. It handed Marquez the lead of a race he still had to win twice over, losing it to Martin on Lap 7 and taking it back on Lap 12. The gift got him started. The rest of the afternoon was his own doing.
184,051 people came to Misano across the weekend, a record for the venue and a fitting backdrop for a Ducati rider winning Ducati’s home round while levelling the championship. Since his 2013 debut, every season Marquez has led the World Championship, he has gone on to win it. He is leading it again now.
Alex Marquez’s second is the quieter story of the day and arguably the more remarkable one. A Gresini home race, a Simoncelli tribute livery, and the first Marquez brothers 1-2 since Catalunya last year, this time with Marc ahead rather than behind. Acosta’s third keeps an odd record moving in the wrong direction for him: fifteen podiums, still no win, further past Colin Edwards than any rider has gone before.
Bagnaia’s Lap 6 crash barely registers next to the headline, but 131 points behind a teammate with eight rounds left is a gap he needs to start closing.
Martin no longer has the championship to himself. He shares it. Whichever way Austria goes, the level score at Misano is the number that gets quoted every time this title race comes up between now and whenever it is finally settled.
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