MARQUEZ WINS MISANO SPRINT AS MARTIN LOSES THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Marc Marquez delivered a statement in Misano’s MotoGP Sprint on Saturday, winning ahead of Aprilia works riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin. The victory allowed “MM93” to cut his deficit to championship leader Martin, reducing it to 14 points. Heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix, Bezzecchi is on pole in front of the home crowd, with Marc Marquez and Ducati rider Fermin Aldeguer completing the front row. The second row features Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati), Martin, and a surprise entry from Honda pilot Luca Marini. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM), Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati), and Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) line up on the third row. Pecco Bagnaia, from the Ducati Lenovo team, starts from grid position 14 after a troubled qualifying session. Toprak Razgatoglu will have to fight from the last row on his Yamaha.

Speedweek added further context to the weekend’s title picture. It noted that Aprilia had enjoyed a strong start to the Italian season at Mugello on 31 May, when Bezzecchi and Martin combined for an Aprilia double victory, with Bagnaia taking third and delighting the Tifosi. In Misano, however, the Sprint already underlined how quickly the balance could shift: after Bezzecchi’s pole record on Saturday, expectations were high, but Marc Marquez “stole the show” in the Sprint.

In the Grand Prix itself, Speedweek reported that Bezzecchi made the best of his first start position and took the lead, only to be unable to go even a full lap after a slip. That left Martin as the main hope for Aprilia, and the report described how Marquez led the opening six laps before Martin took over at the front for five laps. Martin was able to stay in the leading group until the halfway point, with Alex Marquez also involved, but after that the 2024 world champion slipped back. When the chequered flag fell, Martin had been overtaken by the riders who passed Marquez as well, and the final result left him fifth.

Marquez’s Misano haul of maximum points was described as 19 more than Martin, bringing both riders level on 274 points—though Marquez is listed as championship leader because he has more race wins.

Jorge Martin addressed the reasons behind his struggles, saying he had “big difficulties with arm-pump.” He explained that his pace was good and that he could even pull away from Marquez without having to push excessively, but that braking became harder, then accelerating worsened the problem until he “had no control” over the bike. Martin added that the issue came on only now and that there is little time to recover before Austria, where he said the team will need to determine what to do and whether he needs an operation. He also referenced his past: he had arm-pump in 2019 and underwent surgery then, and while he had no problems since, he noted that other riders have seen the problem return after years. Martin said he will seek medical advice and wait to understand how long recovery will take, insisting: “I want to not lose my chance to fight for the world title,” adding that he feels ready.