The reigning World Champion earns a monstrous victory by 0.4s over the Japanese star in Czechia to reduce the gap to Bezzecchi to just 40 points.
Mammoth? Seismic? Colossal? Call it what you want. But that is one hell of a statement win. Having sat 102 points away after the Italian Grand Prix, the seven-time World Champion now lurks just 40 points back from the absent World Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) after the #93 rolled out a masterclass at the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia. Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) made the reigning World Champion work mighty hard for the 25 points, but in the end, neither could stop the #93 from clinching victory.
BAGNAIA BITES IN OPENING EXCHANGES
Ogura got the getaway he would have been dreaming of to grab the holeshot from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Marc Marquez, as the latter then launched an attack on the Italian into Turn 3. That unsettled Di Giannantonio on the exit, and through came Bagnaia too.
Then, through came Bagnaia again. This time on teammate Marc Marquez at Turn 7. An aggressive move on the World Champion, but a clean one. And immediately, Pecco began to crawl all over the rear Michelin rubber of Ogura. The Japanese rider defended well, but on Lap 2, Pecco struck to take the lead into Turn 10. A few corners later, at Turn 13, Marc Marquez followed his teammate through on the Trackhouse star to move into P2.
So at the start of Lap 4, it was Pecco leading Marquez by half a second after consecutive fastest laps of the Grand Prix. Ogura was a further 0.7s down on Marquez, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Di Giannantonio lurking in P4 and P5. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) was sitting in P8 behind Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), having not yet taken his two Long Lap penalties.
On Lap 5, Martin did dive into the Long Lap loop for the first time, which dropped the 2024 World Champion to P10, and the second time around, the #89 slotted back into P13 behind Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3).
BAGNAIA, MARQUEZ, OGURA STRETCH THEIR LEGS
By Lap 10, Acosta had dropped to 2.1s behind Ogura, with Di Giannantonio desperately trying to get past the KTM star. Up front, Bagnaia still led – but Marquez was now as close as he’d been all Grand Prix to his teammate. Meanwhile, Ogura was staying well in touch at 0.8s back, and on Lap 11, the polesitter set his personal best lap.
Bagnaia responded though. The #63 set his personal best lap, a 1:53.510, but it was then a return volley from Ogura on the next time around. The #79 landed the fastest lap of the race with eight laps to go, and then it was the turn of Marquez to turn the screw.
MM93 BEGINS VICTORY PUSH
The #93 was now looking the most dangerous in the victory fight. And sure enough, the lead changed for the first time in a while at Turn 4, and now it was all about how Pecco and Ogura could respond.
Marquez immediately pulled 0.6s clear of Bagnaia, and the Italian now had Ogura climbing all over his rear wheel. The Japanese star needed to make a move rapido here if a debut win was possible, and that’s what he did. Five to go, Lap 10, a late lunge, job done.
Four laps to go. 0.8s splitting Marquez and Ogura.
Three laps to go, 0.7s splitting Marquez and Ogura. The latter was marginally quicker, but at this stage, not enough.
Two to go. 0.6s in it. This was tantalising in the chase to win the Czech GP, and a little further back, Pecco was coming under threat from Di Giannantonio after the Italian set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix.
LAST LAP. And it was a great lap from the champion. Marquez led Ogura by 0.8s, but Ogura chopped it down to 0.5s through split two. The Japanese rider was properly digging in here, but it wasn’t going to be enough. A masterclass from an all-time great. That’s what it took to beat Ogura today, and Marquez did just that to clinch a second win of the season, and one that blows this fascinating title race wide open.
Despite narrowly missing out on a debut MotoGP win by 0.4s, Ogura’s Brno weekend was his best yet in MotoGP, and one that sees the Japanese sophomore sit just six points away from Marquez in the overall standings. Bagnaia just fended off Di Giannantonio at the chequered flag by 0.169s as all three podium finishers take home a double rostrum from Brno.
THE BRNO POINT SCORERS
Di Giannantonio’s late race pace was stunning, signalled by the Italian setting the fastest lap on the final lap, but it wasn’t enough for a podium for the VR46 Racing star. Mir rounded out the top five for HRC to collect his first Sunday top 10 of the season, with Fermin Aldeguer (Bk8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) sixth in Czechia. Having been in hospital on Thursday with illness, a P7 on Sunday was a great effort from the #25, as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) beat Martin to the line by 0.136s in the chase for eighth.
P9 for Martin wasn’t the result he or Aprilia Racing would have been hoping for, despite the two Long Laps, in a weekend to forget for the factory Noale squad. Bastianini completed the top 10, with rookie Moreira crossing the line in P11. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) were the final points scorers in Brno.
Elsewhere, it was late heartbreak for Acosta, who suffered a race-ending issue in the closing stages to see his chances of topping up the points tally end. A Sunday to remove from the memory for the unlucky #37.
COMING UP: A TRIP TO THE CATHEDRAL
Next, we head to another all-time classic venue. Assen. This enthralling MotoGP title race in 2026 is more alive than ever, with Bezzecchi and Aprilia needing a response to the looming threat of Ducati and Marc Marquez.
See you there.
Check out FULL RESULTS HERE.
Ortola vs Alonso goes to the wire, Salač clinches home podium
What a race. What a last-lap, last-corner pass. And with a Long Lap penalty to go with it. Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Exocom – MSI) is a Moto2 race winner for the first time after the #4 rolls out an unbelievable last-corner move on David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) to clinch victory in Brno, and in P3, the home hero – Filip Salač. The OnlyFans American Racing Team rider makes his dreams come true to stand on the Czech GP podium having finished just 0.7s away from the win.
From pole, Alonso held onto the P1 baton into Turn 1 as Ortola, who faced a Long Lap penalty from Row 2, got off to a flyer to propel himself into P2. Salač lost a few places on Lap 1; the Czech star was shuffled down to P6 behind the top two, Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP).
World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) climbed three places to P10 at the end of Lap 1 after his grid penalty. And a lap later, Gonzalez had squeezed past Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) to slot into P8.
Ortola dived into the Long Lap penalty loop on Lap 4, and such was the gap to Guevara in P3, Ortola came out in P2 still. Guevara was up the inside of his compatriot into Turn 8, but Ortola hung it around the outside and then had the inside line into Turn 9. Job done for Ortola, but the gap to race leader Alonso was now 1.4s.
Not for long though. Ortola set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:58.636, to cut the margin to Alonso back down to beneath the one-second barrier. And a little further behind, Gonzalez was now P6 behind fifth place Salač, with Guevara and Agius in P3 and P4.
A big move in the podium places came on Lap 11. Agius lunged up the inside of Guevara at Turn 7, but it was a move that sent both wide. That saw the door open for Salač, who swept through on the Australian and Spaniard to grab hold of P3, with the gap to Alonso and Ortola standing at around half a second.
Until it wasn’t. By Lap 13, Salač was right on the coattails of the top two, and with four laps to go, the blue touch paper was lit in the Moto2 Czech GP fight. Ortola made two moves, one at Turn 1, another at Turn 4, but Alonso bit back to hold onto the lead.
This was building up to a thrilling finale. Alonso vs Ortola vs Salač, with Agius 0.8s away in P4. Then, Salač suddenly lost crucial ground with two laps to go to drop him 0.8s from the top two, and just 0.5s away from Agius.
Last lap time. It looked like it was Alonso vs Ortola for the win, with Salač now in defensive mode to hold onto a dream home Grand Prix podium. No move came until the final couple of corners arrived. Alonso led, but Ortola set up a beauty. Turn 13 saw the #4 hang it around the outside to pounce up the inside of Turn 14, and it was a classy pass underneath the Colombian that saw the Spaniard earn his first Moto2 victory.
It’s Alonso’s first podium of the season, but having led for 99% of the race, that might sting a bit for the #80. Still, a great ride, and what definitely won’t sting will be Salač’s podium for the Czech star and the thousands of Czech fans in Brno. It’s not the win, but it’s back-to-back podiums for Salač – and a dream come true to stand on the famous Brno rostrum.
Agius’ P4 was a very solid afternoon’s work after the Aussie lost his right knee slider during the race, and the same – minus the knee slider part – can be said for Gonzalez’s comeback to P5. P13 to a top five, and beating your main title rival on the final lap, signals a job well done for the title race leader. That title rival is Guevara, who finished P6 at the flag after a good battle with Gonzalez.
Holgado faded to P7 to finish less than half a second ahead of eighth place Roberts, as Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) loses ground in the championship with a P9. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continued his points streak as the reigning Moto3 World Champion earned P10.
Tune in for more Moto2 fun when we go racing at the Cathedral of Speed next weekend! Find full results from Moto2 here.
Malaysian masterclass as Danish takes maiden Moto3 victory at Brno
A first win for Malaysia in a decade and a career-first for Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) who overcame a 12-place grid penalty to hit the front on the last lap after a race-long battle. The #13 became the fourth new winner of the 2026 season, finishing ahead of Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team).
It was a bright start from polesitter David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) but he was beaten to the holeshot by Quiles. Straight away on the opening lap, a front group of four broke clear as Quiles, Almansa and Red Bull KTM Ajo duo Alvaro Carpe and Uriarte duked it out. Further down, it was a cracking start from Danish who after receiving a 12-place grid penalty, started 14th and was P5 and with the leaders by Lap 2.
Four had become six with Danish right with the leaders and bringing Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) with him whilst less than a second back, Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) had also recovered from his 12-place grid penalty and was P7 from 20th and by Lap 5, had climbed into the top four having had a very quiet weekend. A seven-rider fight at the front, Moto3 was at its best. A change of the lead on Lap 6 as Almansa burst through at Turn 1 whilst seven became six when O’Gorman crashed out at Turn 9.
Almansa’s lead was short-lived when Uriarte dispatched of Quiles and the Grand Prix leader at Turns 5 and 7 respectively and the #22 was now being beaten up by the Championship leader and Carpe, managing to recover to P3 as the second half of the race began. The battle kept raging, Almansa working his way to P1 briefly before Quiles took over and then Carpe pounced on the #22 at Turn 4, running him out wide and fragmenting the group.
With four to go, the group was back together and there was a brief change of lead with Almansa getting back in the game and attacking Quiles but the Buriram winner was unable to make it stick. Two laps to go and it was still anyone’s to win; Quiles stood firm and was leading brilliantly but the chasing pack were eager to disrupt his flow. Disrupting flow was what Pratama did to Almansa at Turn 10 whilst Carpe made a mistake all on his own, allowing Quiles, Uriarte and Danish to break free at the front.
Last lap time and elbows were flying everywhere and there was contact at Turn 8 between Quiles and Uriarte and that paved the way for Danish to carve his way through. In the final sector, it was five abreast into the final corner but nobody was getting near the Malaysian rookie. From 14th on the grid, it was a masterclass from Danish to take his maiden victory in Moto3 and Malaysia’s first since Khairul Idham Pawi at the Sachsenring in 2016. In the all-out fight for second, Uriarte came out on top ahead of Quiles with Almansa fourth despite being in P2 on the run up to the final two corners. Pratama was fifth at the flag whilst Carpe lost valuable ground to Quiles in the title race to finish sixth.
Noteworthy performances included a good comeback from 17th on the grid to P7 for Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) and Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing) a best result of 2026 in eighth. Scott Ogden (CIP GreenPower) took his second top ten of the season in ninth ahead of Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) who came home tenth.
Check out full results here for all the scorers and see you at Assen!