MARC MARQUEZ WINS SAN MARINO GP AT MISANO TO TAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AFTER BEZZECCHI CRASH

Marc Marquez capitalised on an opening-lap crash for Aprilia rival Marco Bezzecchi to win the San Marino Grand Prix and secure the lead in the MotoGP standings. Motorsport.com added that the race was another turning point in the 2026 season, with Marquez and Ducati moving to the top in their respective standings. It also stressed that Bezzecchi’s pole start was followed by a falter, turning what looked like a close two-way fight into a one-man affair.

At Misano, Marquez qualified second and then found himself battling at the front after Bezzecchi crashed on the opening lap. With the race’s early disruption reshaping the order, Marquez was able to fight with brother Alex and Pedro Acosta out in front, before the Ducati rider prevailed to take his fifth win of the season. The victory also put him level at the top of the championship with Jorge Martin heading into the Austrian GP, with Marquez now tied for the winningest rider of 2026.

The win came on Valentino Rossi’s home soil, and the atmosphere around Marquez in Italy had been a talking point. Rossi fans had previously shown hostility toward the Spaniard, including boos at Mugello last year that led Michele Pirro to plead with the crowd not to boo him at Misano. In 2026, however, journalist Adam Wheeler said that tension had “dissolved” and that the crowd were instead recognising what Marquez was doing. Wheeler noted on the Paddock Pass Podcast: “Marquez won. We’ve seen him win, what’s that, his seventh victory now, I think, at this circuit?” He added that Marquez had previously won “under the audible boos of the crowd,” and that this weekend felt different, saying: “Yeah, this weekend it seemed like the edginess towards the world champion has sort of dissolved a little bit. There’s not quite that aggro towards him. “There’s more acknowledgement of what he’s doing, especially with all this faff pre-event about his arm and his conditioning and what he’s come back from.”

Marquez’s return story has been shaped by his right arm issues, and the new reporting highlighted that he had been 102 points behind when he came back from injury at Mugello. After Misano, he took the lead for the first time this season and is now described as the firm favourite for the title.