MARC MARQUEZ WINS ARAGON GRAND PRIX AFTER RIDE-HEIGHT DEVICE MISTAKE

Marc Marquez delivered a dominant home-weekend at MotorLand Aragon, converting Saturday’s Sprint win into victory in Sunday’s Grand Prix. The Ducati factory rider took the maximum 37 points available, but his race was not without drama—he made a costly mistake early on that briefly threatened to derail his momentum.

Starting from second on the grid, Marquez followed a familiar script from the Sprint. He outbraked pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi into Turn 1 to seize the lead. However, almost immediately after, the world champion made an error that he later described as “massive.” Marquez had forgotten to deactivate the rear ride-height device. As a result, his Ducati stayed lowered and touched down in Turn 3, allowing several riders to pass. Speaking after the race, Marquez explained: “The first corner was key and I managed it again. But today I made a massive mistake because I forgot the rear ride-height device.” He added that when he accelerated from Turn 1 into Turn 2, the device was still active, which left him “extremely slow” through Turn 2 and Turn 3 and made it harder to defend positions.

Rather than dwell on the setback, Marquez focused on rebuilding. “When I came out of Turn 1 and took the lead again, I understood immediately what had happened,” he said. “Then I told myself: okay, don’t complain. Just try not to lose too many positions and rebuild your race.”

The recovery included several notable moments against top rivals. In the first lap, Marquez grabbed Jorge Martin at Turn 15. Later, he attacked the leader at the same spot, only for Bezzecchi to respond and hold his ground. One of the most striking episodes came on the back straight at around 300 km/h, where Marquez described an unsettling aerodynamic interaction between the two bikes. “Even on the bike it felt very strange,” he said. “Because of all the aerodynamics at 300 km/h there was a moment where our motorcycles seemed to suck each other in. I wanted to pass him on the right, but my bike was pulled toward him—and I believe his was pulled toward mine.”

Marquez said the situation was frightening even for him, pointing out what the replay showed. “When you look at the replay, you can even see a small wheelie in sixth gear. That was a scary moment, but it was a good show for the fans.”

Once Bezzecchi was eventually beaten, Pedro Acosta became Marquez’s toughest challenger. The KTM factory rider stayed close for many laps, repeatedly pressuring the Ducati. Marquez, though, had a clear plan for the final phase. He said he aimed to manage tyre wear across most of the race, with a specific trigger: “My plan was: if there are ten laps to go and I’m in front, I’ll take one step.”

That strategy played out exactly as he described. Marquez increased the pace, pulled away from Acosta, and then controlled the remaining laps to the flag. After 23 laps, he crossed the line 1.754 seconds ahead of his future Ducati teammate.

The win also reshaped the championship picture. Marquez arrived in Aragon 40 points behind MotoGP leader Jorge Martin, but after Sprint and Grand Prix he reduced the deficit to 19 points. At the same time, he moved past Bezzecchi into second place in the standings. Marquez stressed the importance of not dropping points on tracks that suit him. “If we want any chance to fight for the championship, on a track that suits us we can’t leave points behind,” he said. “That’s what we did this weekend. It was a good track for us and we got the maximum out of it.”

Despite the strong result, Marquez did not write off his rivals. He noted that Martin had faced difficulties in Aragon but insisted the pace would return. “Martin had a few difficulties this weekend,” he said, “but I’m convinced that Martin and Marco will be very fast in this last part of the season.” Ducati’s success also mattered in the manufacturers’ standings, where the gap to Aprilia shrank to 15 points.

After the finish, Marquez’s emotions spilled over in front of the 93 grandstand named after his number. He celebrated with fans and described the atmosphere he wants to create. “We try to offer fans a special experience. It shouldn’t be only about racing, but also a kind of party. That’s what I like. I want to enjoy the moment—and on track I try to give 100 percent.”