The #89 attacks Bagnaia on the last lap, Marc Marquez clashes with Diggia and Bezzecchi slides out on an eventful Saturday
Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) is back on the top step! The #89 put in a stunning performance in the Tissot Sprint in Texas, hunting down early leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), making a brutal move for the lead on the last lap and then crossing the line with seven tenths in hand to take his first Sprint win since 2024 – and first with Aprilia. In a Sprint that had already been dramatic, the #89 then added to it even more as he binned it after a celebratory wheelie, rider ok. That wasn’t the only drama in an eventful Sprint either.
Bagnaia took second after grabbing the early lead and only losing out on the last lap, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the Sprint rostrum – but under investigation for tyre pressure. Later, it was confirmed and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was promoted to P3.
There was early drama for Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he crashed out trying to make a move on Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), collecting the Italian in the incident too, and then Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) crashed by himself with only three to go – from ahead of Martin. Finally, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) crashed on the last lap trying to attack Acosta for third.
It was a good start from Acosta from P3 but at Turn 1 he had Marc Marquez to contend with, and both the #37 and Di Giannantonio lost out to Bagnaia, who judged the tight T1 apex perfectly. He led the way ahead of Acosta, with Diggia then duelling Marc Marquez over third – the #49 ahead. Points leader Bezzecchi dropped down to P7 early doors.
Suddenly, the first drama hit – and right near the front. Marc Marquez was going for a move on Diggia, the #49 picked it up and then the #93 slid off – collecting the unfortunate Di Giannantonio on the way out. Two riders were out of the podium fight, and it’s a mistake that will see the #93 have to take a Long Lap penalty in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Back at the front, Bagnaia pounded on. He had a few tenths in hand over a huge squabble for second, with Acosta leading Mir leading Martin leading Bezzecchi. The group was still close enough to the lead to make it anyone’s to take at that stage, but by six to go, Bagnaia was stretching his legs at the front.
Martin, however, was now the rider on the chase – and Bezzecchi had picked his way through into third, with both Aprilias dispatching Acosta. Mir was shuffled down to fifth, with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) the rider on his tail.
Bezzecchi was on the back wheel of his teammate with four to go, and after stalking him he got through at Turn 11 in a clean move for second – but didn’t shake the #89. With three to go though, it all came apart in the second sudden splash of drama, and at exactly the same corner. Bezzecchi was out of shape in the braking zone and then suddenly slid out, his second Sprint crash of the season so far. Martin was up into second and the gap just over a second to Bagnaia.
As the last lap arrived, it was all heating up at the front. What had been a comfortable cushion for Bagnaia was suddenly almost nothing, with Martin on the hunt. Bastianini had stalked his way up to battle and then pass Alex Marquez, and then Mir crashed out at Turn 1 trying to fight Acosta for third.
The #89 homed in on Bagnaia as the tenths disappeared into hundredths, and Martin went for his move at Turn 12 – sitting the #63 up with a clean enough but brutal last lap attack. He kept it steady from there on out to cross the line for an emotional first Sprint win of the season, and first since 2024. It also puts him atop the rider standings.
Bagnaia retained second and Acosta retained third as Mir slid out, with Bastianini getting past Alex Marquez to take fourth. That was later to become P3 and a bronze medal after Acosta’s tyre pressure penalty. The #73 takes P5, with Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) taking sixth in a little breathing space.
Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) moved up to seventh on Saturday just ahead of teammate Raul Fernandez, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) completing the Sprint points.
How’s that for a dramatic afternoon in the Lone Star State? Martin takes the reins despite his post-flag hiccup, and a grid penalty on Sunday drops Bezzecchi to P4 on the grid as he looks to bounce back. Join us for more in the Grand Prix as the dust settles after a stunning, eventual afternoon of Sprint action!
Tune in from 15:00 (UTC-5) on Sunday to see more unreal MotoGP action in Texas! And have a flick through the full results here!
Alonso clinches maiden pole before post-qualifying penalty in Austin, Baltus promoted to P1
For the first time in Moto2, David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) will launch from pole position after converting a dominant Friday into a P1 on Saturday afternoon - or at least that’s what we thought. The 2024 Moto3 World Champion set a storming 2:05.203, a new all-time lap record, to finish just under a tenth and a half ahead of second place Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing), but a post-qualifying tyre pressure penalty means the Colombian will start the Moto2 race from P17. Meanwhile, World Championship pacesetter Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) is only P15 on the starting line having come through Q1.
That means it’s a revitalised Baltus who will start from pole position, with the Belgian starting from the front row for the first time this year despite a late tumble in Q2. Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) beat compatriot Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR - GALFER – MSI) to the front row, but in the end, the rookie is promoted to P3 following Alonso’s misfortune – but the Spaniard faces a double Long Lap penalty on Sunday.
Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) are now P4 and P5 on the grid in the United States, KLINT Racing Team’s Alex Escrig now jumps up to Row 2 in P6, with Agius’s teammate Manuel Gonzalez starting from P9 after setting a time good enough for P10. That means the top two in the championship don’t feature on the front three rows on the grid.
Home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) will be hunting a good points haul from 10th on the grid, that’s the Californian’s best qualifying result of 2026, as we now strap in for what looks set to be a Moto2 cracker at COTA on Sunday, with Alonso aiming to carve his way through the pack in the pursuit of victory.
Tune in to watch it at 13:15 local time, and check out full results here and come back for Sunday as Moto2 tackle COTA!
Carpe can’t be caught for stunning COTA pole
A dramatic Moto3 qualifying session took us into the sunset but it didn’t disappoint; a career-first pole was bagged by Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA) whilst he’s joined by Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI), with the Malaysian taking a mighty career-first front row in Goiania.
After Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Zen Mitani (Honda Team Asia) graduated from Q1, it was time for the pole position shootout. However, it was red-flagged due to track conditions after a massive highside for Cormac Buchanan (CODE Motorsports) at Turn 4 and a smaller front-end fall for Danish at Turn 6. Both were OK and after a brief pause, action quickly resumed. Lap times dropped all the way into the 1’26s with the likes of CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team duo Marco Morelli and Maximo Quiles both enjoying time at the top of the standings, along with Perrone. Before long though, it was Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who found himself sitting pretty at the top as the final runs got underway.
However, there was drama for Quiles who fell at Turn 6 whilst in the closing moments, it was a fast fall for Uriarte at Turn 11 in what looked like a repeat of his teammate’s crash from the morning. Elsewhere though, it was Esteban who had timed it to perfection to take pole position, not just a first of his career but a first front row too. A fifth career front row went to Perrone in second, his first since he started from the same place at Motegi last year. It’s a first Malaysian front row since 2016 by Danish who seeks a first podium in Moto3. Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) took a career-best fourth on the grid, ahead of Morelli and Uriarte.
What about the top two in the Championship though? Quiles couldn’t recover from his crash despite getting back out and lines up 11th, whereas yellow flags continuously scuppered David Almansa’s (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) pole hopes. 14th is all the Championship leader could manage, making for big comebacks from the #28 and #22.
Check out full results here and come back for a stunner on Sunday as Moto3 take on Goiania!