2026 Brazil GP Race Report

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) vs Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) went to the wire in the Tissot Sprint in Brazil, with the duo split by just two tenths over the line after a cat-and-mouse showdown and a tense final lap. Completing the Sprint podium it was an emotional afternoon for Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) as the 2024 World Champion got back on the box for the first time since the SolIdarity GP in 2024, impressing once again as he comes out swinging on his return to full fitness.

Diggia took the holeshot after a solid start from pole, and it was a stunning start from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the Frenchman moved up into third and then quickly attacked Marc Marquez for second. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) lost out down to fourth, and further back there was drama for the returning Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) off the line as his machine slid before launching and those behind streamed past. But it was a clean start as the freight train settled in for battle.

Up ahead though, Diggia in the lead had just over half a second in hand as they started Lap 3, with Marc Marquez then attacking Quartararo back before Turn 1 to reclaim second. The Frenchman was then slightly wide, allowing Bezzecchi to pick his pocket, before Martin did the same next time down the straight as Lap 4 began.

Meanwhile at the front, Diggia was 1.2 seconds clear. Marc Marquez was second, Bezzecchi third and Martin fourth, but the #72 was then deep through Turns 10 and 11 – allowing his #89-livered teammate through into third.

Meanwhile, Quartararo was stealing more of the limelight just behind – holding off Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) brutally but cleanly. The #20 was digging in, and so was Marc Marquez as he started to reel in Di Giannantonio in the lead.

By Lap 10 of 15, Ogura was past Quartararo and Marc Marquez was half a second off the lead. Action was hotting up slightly further back too as Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) attacked Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) for P8. He got past, Pecco returned the favour, and then the #63 started homing in on Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in seventh.

By three to go though, Marc Marquez was in striking distance at the front – so he did. Alongside out of Turn 12 and then past, the #93 took the lead, but he retained very close company from the rider in yellow. It then looked like Marc Marquez had built a few tenths up to try and protect the gap but onto the last lap, the #49 was closing and closing.

Diggia looked for a way through at Turn 6 and found none, instead forced to stay glued to the back of the red machine ahead. But Marc Marquez kept it pitch perfect – right until the final corner where he suffered a twitch – and nothing was enough to stop him claiming that first Sprint win of the season. The #93 takes the gold on Saturday for his 16th Sprint win – putting him equal with Martin as the riders who have the most Sprint victories since the format was introduced.

Speaking of Martin, the #89 made a stunning return to the podium. Slipping past teammate Bezzecchi after the #72 headed slightly wide, Martin then knuckled down and kept it clean to the flag – getting back on the rostrum for the first time since the 2024 Solidarity Grand Prix Sprint. It was an emotional cool down lap after a rollercoaster since his Championship win. It’s also his first podium with Aprilia Racing.

Bezzechi took fourth and maintains second in the standings, now two points adrift of Acosta after the #37 came home ninth in the Sprint in Brazil. Ogura took fifth place for another impressive show of form from the sophomore, with an even more titanic performance just on his tail: Quartararo. The Frenchman grabbed his qualifying springboard as a huge opportunity and held onto sixth place to underline his elbows-out start to the Sprint.

Alex Marquez took P7 just ahead of Bagnaia, with Acosta taking that final point. Just outside the points but inside the top ten, Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) takes tenth after a stunning home performance from the rookie.

MOTOGP - RACE
Bezzecchi storms to victory ahead of Martin, Diggia defeats Marc Marquez on take two.

History = made! MotoGP is back in Brazil and Marco Bezzecchi is back on top as the Aprilia Racing rider took a stunning fourth Grand Prix win in a row in Brazil, and for the first time in Aprilia's history. To add to the headlines for the Noale factory, teammate Jorge Martin takes second place to back up his awesome return to the rostrum on Saturday. Completing the podium, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) defeated Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) on their rematch after the Sprint showdown, the #49 turning the tables in style.

After a poorer start on Saturday, Bezzecchi nailed it on Sunday to take the holeshot, with Di Giannantonio slotting into second from pole and Marc Marquez holding third. Martin was fourth, with one big mover off the line proving Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he went from P9 to P5.

Onto Lap 2, Marc Marquez took over in second, and not long after that, Acosta found a way past Martin. At the front though, Bezzecchi had the hammer down, with the gap starting to go out as the laps ticked on.

On Lap 6, a big move came in from Di Giannantonio – a big lunge, and with a big effect on more than just his own position. The #49 steamed up the inside of Marc Marquez and both went wide – with Martin needing no second invitation to pick their pockets. The Aprilia swept past both into second place, around 2 seconds off his teammate’s lead. Diggia ultimately remained where he was but with a different bike ahead, and Marc Marquez was shuffled down into fourth.

The fight in the group behind was getting close too. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was past Acosta into fifth, and by over half distance Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) had joined the party too.

Up at the front, Bez was holding station and Martin cut some tenths off his lead before he seemed to settle into second. The fight for third was about to reignite though – a Sprint re-run.

With five to go, Marc Marquez sliced up the inside of Diggia at Turn 6 – brutal but clean – and the #93 was back into third. But he retained a yellow shadow and next lap around out of Turn 11, Marc Marquez was deep – and the #49 shot straight through the open door. The battle rolled on, but on take two, the number 93 had no reply.

Bezzecchi crossed the line to win a stunning fourth Grand Prix in a row and with that takes the Championship lead. It’s the first time he or Aprilia have won four in a row – and Aprilia also lead the constructors. Martin followed up his emotional Saturday rostrum with a Grand Prix podium in second on Sunday, making it a 1-2 for Aprilia in the race and the rider standings.

Di Giannantonio held onto his sweet revenge on Sunday, taking third for his first Grand Prix podium of the year, with Marc Marquez relegated to fourth. Ogura got past Alex Marquez and held him off, with Acosta forced to settle for seventh. With that he moves down to third in the championship. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) took eighth on his return, ahead of Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) in tenth. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed out, as did Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol).

Enea Bastianini P15

"The track was new for everybody and we thought we might suffer a bit but it was more than other races. The layout was really fast and in the middle, sectors two and three, are slow and we suffered with acceleration. Saturday was difficult because it was dry and we rode on Friday in the wet. For sure, we missed something. That is clear. Pedro was quite fast but today my pace was close to him but starting from behind is very difficult."

Diogo Moreira P13

“We enjoyed the weekend; it was super busy, but everything went well! Today, the start was difficult as I lost many positions, that was the main challenge, and I had to make a bit of a comeback, which was tough. We had a good pace, and that’s important. The key thing is that we scored points and learned a lot. Thanks to everyone supporting me!"

MOTO3
Quiles resists Morelli’s late charge for Goiania victory, Pratama stuns with P3.

A sensational fightback from Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) saw the 18-year-old take victory in Goiania. He was kept honest by teammate Marco Morelli who had to settle for second and with it, achieved a first-ever Moto3 podium whilst there was big history made in P3: Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) took his first-ever podium and thus Indonesia’s first in any class of Grand Prix racing. Heading into the round as Championship leader, David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed out from the lead on Lap 14.

Polesitter Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA) grabbed the holeshot but by the halfway point on Lap 1, it was an Argentine 1-2 as Perrone and Morelli took over at the front. Moto3 is never dull and the usual paint-swapping and fairing-clashing moves continued, with Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) coming into the top three. Quiles had worked his way up to P2 and Championship leader Almansa moved into the top five from 14th on the grid.

At the start of Lap 4, it was Almansa who took over at the front from title rival Quiles, the top two in the Championship now the top two on-track. Lap 7 and a stunning weekend came to a shuddering halt for Esteban, who highsided at Turn 4 and out of the top three, having worked hard to get back on terms with Almansa and Quiles ahead of him. By half-race distance, the front two had broken away and were in a battle of their own for victory but the fight for third was warming up. Perrone had it over Morelli, whilst Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) reignited their rivalry from Buriram. Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Danish and Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) all featured, aiming to have their say.

On Lap 13 though, a huge moment in the Grand Prix as Almansa highsided out at Turn 4, thankfully able to walk away but crashing from the lead and leaving a certain podium in the gravel was not what he ordered. A lap later and a similar crash saw Scott Ogden’s (CIP GreenPower) Grand Prix come to an end and whilst he was OK, a red flag was shown bringing a pause in proceedings. A quick restart procedure and then a 5-lap dash, game on in Goiania!

On the restart, Quiles reasserted his authority and grabbed the holeshot as Carpe, Fernandez and Pini all battled hard behind. A crash at Turn 4 on the restart as Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team) took out Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL-UP MTA), both riders OK. Right in the mix too and up into second as the others battled, Morelli showed his pace whilst in fifth, Salmela was also in contention.

Onto the last lap and Morelli had got the hammer down in a bid to catch his teammate and going into the last sector, was right with Quiles but despite his best efforts, there was nothing that was going to stop the #28 from taking victory in Goiania and the Championship lead. An Aspar 1-2 with Morelli second whilst there was a first podium in Grand Prix racing for Indonesia as Pratama bagged third, holding off Carpe and Pini. Salmela took a mighty sixth and with it Finland’s best result in the class since 2014 whilst Perrone, Fernandez, Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Danish rounded out the top ten.

Nicola Carraro P20

“Not the race we expected today… we really suffered out there, but this is part of the journey. We stay positive, keep pushing, and never give up. Every setback is a lesson, and we’ll come back stronger for the next one."