MARC MARQUEZ SAYS IT FEELS UNREAL AS HE TAKES FIRST 2026 TITLE LEAD AFTER MISANO WIN

Marc Marquez described the moment he took over the lead of the 2026 MotoGP world championship as something that still does not feel real. After winning the San Marino Grand Prix, the Ducati rider said it “feels unreal” to be heading the standings for the first time, adding: “Unreal. It feels unreal.”

His rise to the top comes after a difficult start to the year, when injury problems disrupted his title defence. Early-season issues limited his ability to build momentum, and the situation worsened at the French Grand Prix when he suffered a foot fracture. That injury forced him to miss a weekend so he could undergo surgery. The recovery period also included work on his right shoulder: Marquez had a procedure to address a nerve issue that had been present since his crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix last October.

When he returned at May’s Italian Grand Prix, Marquez was already 102 points behind the championship lead and, according to the reporting, had effectively been written out of contention. From there, his season accelerated dramatically. He went on to take wins in Hungary, Czechia, Germany, Aragon and then at Misano, erasing the earlier deficit and turning the championship fight into a close battle at the front.

At Misano, Marquez capitalised on a race that swung on key moments. With Marco Bezzecchi leading, Bezzecchi crashed, and Jorge Martin—who had a difficult race—finished fifth. Marquez’s victory at San Marino moved him into first place in the standings and marked his fifth grand prix win of the season.

Speaking in parc ferme, Marquez stressed that the championship is still not settled. “But never give up. I will push until the end. This is not done, but this is not over.” He also pointed to the level of competition around him, saying he is “fighting against very good riders, especially Martin and Bez.”

He acknowledged that the race itself was decided by fine margins. “But, as we saw, everything is on the limit, and a small mistake can cost a lot of points.” Marquez explained that after Bezzecchi’s mistake he became “a bit too confident,” and Martin attacked. He then said he regained confidence, kept the pace, and felt pleased with the points haul: “happy because that 37 points here at Misano means a lot.”

Alongside the on-track story, Marquez also described a mental shift that he says helped him arrive at Misano with momentum. After the Aragon double, he said he had taken “mental steps” that left him feeling “free” and relaxed, with the mentality “flowing.” “I felt free, relaxed, especially the mentality was flowing,” he said on MotoGP.com’s After the Flag post-race show. He added: “I was very convinced of what I need to be fast. It’s true that it helps that the speed was good from FP1, and from that point I just tried to ride in the best way possible.”

Marquez linked that freedom to progress he made in the week after Aragon, including a social media post where he highlighted the lack of muscle on his right arm. “Yes,” he said when asked if it was the first time he’d felt “free” this season, explaining: “In Aragon already I did a step in my mentality.” He said the week after Aragon helped him concentrate and stay relaxed, and that it gave him the feeling he needs to fight for the championship: “That thing gives me the feeling I believe I need to fight for the championship.”

He also explained how Misano’s result was shaped by strategy, referencing the Sprint. “In the Sprint], we won by strategy – choosing the medium [compound] rear tyre – and today Marco [Bezzecchi] did the mistake and we tried to just take that benefit.”

In the championship picture, Marquez is level on 274 points with Martin, but leads on the basis of race wins—five to Martin’s one. Bezzecchi’s crash at Misano left him 33 points behind Marquez.

The Misano outcome also had implications for the constructors’ standings. With Aprilia facing a difficult home race, Ducati moved ahead in the team battle, leading by two points over its Italian rival.