Marc Marquez won the 2026 San Marino Grand Prix after an opening-lap crash for polesitter Marco Bezzecchi opened the door for the Ducati rider to take control of the race and move to the top of the MotoGP standings.
The reigning World Champion had to work for his fifth victory of the season. Jorge Martin briefly took the lead during the middle phase, while Alex Marquez closed to within half a second in the final laps, but Marc Marquez absorbed both challenges to take another important win at Misano.
The result leaves Marquez and Martin level on 274 points. Marquez, however, holds the championship lead on countback thanks to his greater number of victories.
Bezzecchi’s Race Ends on the Opening Lap
Bezzecchi started from pole and immediately covered the inside line on the run towards Turn 1, preventing Marquez from repeating the move that had decided Saturday’s sprint.
The Aprilia rider retained the lead, but his advantage lasted less than a lap.
While trying to keep Marquez behind, Bezzecchi lost the front at Turn 12 and crashed out. His San Marino GP was over before the opening lap had been completed.
Marquez inherited the lead, with Martin moving into second after a strong start allowed him to clear Fabio Di Giannantonio and Fermin Aldeguer.
Unlike the sprint, Marquez could not immediately escape.
Martin stayed with the Ducati through the opening stages and kept the gap around three tenths of a second before making his move.
Martin Takes the Lead, Marquez Responds
Martin attacked into Turn 4, braking later than Marquez and moving the factory Aprilia into first place.
For a brief period, the momentum shifted.
Marquez initially dropped around eight tenths behind and came under pressure from his brother Alex. Rather than forcing an immediate response, the Ducati rider rebuilt his pace and gradually returned to Martin’s rear wheel.
By lap 12, the opportunity was there.
Marquez attacked down the inside at Turn 6 and reclaimed the lead.
This time, Martin could not respond.
His pace deteriorated sharply over the following laps, allowing Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta through. What had initially looked like a direct fight for victory quickly became damage limitation for the Aprilia rider.
At the front, Marquez began stretching his advantage beyond one second.
Alex Marquez Takes the Fight to His Brother
The race was not settled yet.
Alex Marquez began cutting into his brother’s advantage during the closing stages and reduced the gap to approximately four tenths of a second.
With little separating the two Ducatis, a mistake from either rider could have changed the result.
It never came.
Marc Marquez remained precise through the final laps and kept the Gresini rider outside attacking range, eventually crossing the line 0.657 seconds ahead.
It was his fifth victory from the last seven races and one of his most important of the season.
Alex completed a Marquez one-two while racing with a special livery paying tribute to Marco Simoncelli. The result also represented a strong recovery from a difficult Saturday.
Acosta completed the podium after another productive ride for KTM. Starting seventh, he worked his way through the field to secure third.
Difficult Home Race for Aprilia
Aldeguer finished fourth for Gresini, while Martin eventually brought the Aprilia home fifth, 14 seconds behind the winner.
The result was particularly costly considering where Martin had been earlier in the race.
After leading and directly challenging Marquez, his late loss of pace turned a potential victory into fifth place and allowed his championship rival to draw level on points.
With Bezzecchi crashing out on the opening lap, Misano became a difficult home race for Aprilia. It marked only the second Grand Prix this season in which none of its four bikes finished on the podium.
Raul Fernandez recovered from 10th on the grid to finish sixth for Trackhouse, ahead of Di Giannantonio in seventh.
Enea Bastianini took eighth for Tech3, while Luca Marini and Fabio Quartararo completed the top 10 for Honda and Yamaha respectively.
Only 14 riders reached the chequered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia joining Bezzecchi among the most notable retirements.
MotoGP Title Fight Level After Misano
The biggest consequence of the San Marino GP can be found in the championship standings.
Marquez and Martin leave Misano tied on 274 points, but the Ducati rider now sits at the top of the table on countback.
Bezzecchi’s opening-lap retirement was costly, but Martin’s inability to convert his early pace into a podium proved equally important.
Marquez, meanwhile, did exactly what the championship situation required. He survived Martin’s attack, retook the lead when the opportunity arrived and resisted late pressure from Alex without giving away a single opening.
Five victories in seven races have now carried Marquez back to the top of MotoGP. After Misano, the championship could hardly be closer.
Watch the 2026 MotoGP San Marino GP race highlights here.
