#USGP – MOTOGP, SPRINT & RACE – Bezzecchi wins
MOTOGP – SPRINT: Martin steals stunning Sprint win as drama takes the reins in Texas.
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.
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.
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. Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) 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. 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.
MOTOGP – RACE: Record-breaker Bezzecchi claims COTA crown with Sunday stunner.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) just can’t stop breaking records. The #72 has won an incredible fifth Grand Prix in a row, only the third Italian rider ever to do it, and has won the first three GPs of a season for the first time since Marc Marquez did it in 2014. It was also an Aprilia 1-2 for the second time in succession as Jorge Martin followed up Tissot Sprint Gold with a Sunday podium, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking third.
Acosta got an almighty launch off the front row for the holeshot, with Bezzecchi also steaming forwards to take over in second. Even more so Martin as he shot up into third. Early drama then saw Acosta deep into Turn 11, with Bezzecchi cutting up the inside on the tighter line. On the exit the two were side-by-side and the two bashed fairings – with a piece of Aprilia breaking off and flying off behind them. Bez retained the lead following that, with Acosta recovering quickly despite the bash and Martin hovering third too.
Behind, it was all heating up in the group. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) vs Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) first, with the yellow machine ahead, before Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was then also able to pick his way past the #93 – followed swiftly by Honda HRC Castrol’s Joan Mir.
By then, it was new record time: crossing the line ahead for each lap until the start of Lap 4, Bezzecchi has officially led more consecutive Grand Prix laps than anyone else in the modern era. The previous record was 103 held by Jorge Lorenzo in 2015, Lap 4 in COTA made it 104 for Bezzecchi.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez was out of the heat of battle and into the Long Lap area. The #93 had the penalty for his incident with Di Giannantonio in the Sprint, and he completed that with no drama. Then Mir was given a Long Lap for a shortcut taken when in the heat of that battle for fourth, but the #36 crashed out not long after.
Meanwhile at the front, Martin had made one luge on Acosta for second and been denied, and a couple of laps later had a huge moment at Turn 1. He saved it but dropped back into the clutches of Diggia, with Bagnaia also homing in on the back of the #49.
At half race distance, it was Bez leading Acosta by around a second, with Martin, Diggia and Bagnaia close behind. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) had attacked Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) for sixth, with Sprint podium finisher Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) on their tail. Marc Marquez was down in P9 after his Long Lap, not making many inroads into the #23 ahead.
Ogura and Bastianini were the riders on the move. Ogura was homing in on Bagnaia and Bastianini on Alex Marquez. By Lap 12, the American Flag-liveried Trackhouse machine of Ogura was past Bagnaia in brutal but clean style. Next target: Diggia. The Japanese rider sliced up the inside at Turn 12, another brutal but clean move.
Just after that, Acosta had a moment at Turn 1 – wide or looking for a bike to follow for tyre pressure? Martin was able to just sweep past the KTM, making it an Aprilia 1-2, with Ogura on the march too.
Meanwhile in the fight for sixth, the Bagnaia – Bastianini – Alex Marquez – Marc Marquez quartet was heating up, and drama hit for Ogura. As Marc Marquez elbowed past Alex Marquez and then past Bastianini to tag onto the back of Bagnaia, Ogura was slowing and pulling over out of the group’s way – a technical issue putting paid to his incredible charge.
Bagnaia vs Marc Marquez was then game on for fifth – but not according to Bastianiani. The #23 attacked Marquez first instead of took sixth. The #93 responded. Bastianini wasn’t done, sending it at the end of the back straight. Marquez got him on the cutback. It settled briefly before Marquez attacked Bagnaia, and Bastianini barreled straight through to follow the #93.
Meanwhile at the front, Bezzecchi was just about keeping enough in hand over Martin, and onto the last lap he eked it out to cross the line 1.7 seconds clear. He extended that lap-leading run to an even bigger record of 121 and becomes only the third Italian rider ever to win five in a row after Hall of Famers Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini. He’s also the first rider to win the first three GPs of the season since Marc Marquez did it in 2014.
Martin makes it an Aprilia 1-2, the first time the factory has achieved that twice in a row, and only just loses that Championship lead gained with his Sprint Gold medal. Acosta held on to third place for a podium on Sunday to add a trophy to replace the medal lost on Saturday.
Diggia takes fourth, in an ultimately lonely ride to the flag but comes home as top Ducati.Marc Marquez did hold on to fifth ahead of Bastianini – just – with Alex Marquez taking P7. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP team) slots into eighth, with he and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) getting past Bagnaia late on.
I am very happy with this result because it was not an easy race. At the start, I lost the rear in Turn 3 and then, after some contact, the airbag deployed, which made things difficult for a while. After that, I tried to find my pace lap by lap and close the gap to the riders in front. At the end, I caught Marc, and it was a hard fight because he was pushing a lot in the final laps. I tried to get closer out of Turn 11 to have a chance into Turn 12, but we were missing a bit of acceleration. Still, we were competitive under braking and that is a positive. We can be satisfied with this weekend. I made a mistake in Qualifying, which made the race more difficult, but it is good to be back fighting close to the front again. Now we must keep working and continue like this in Europe.
Enea Bastianini – P6
After not being able to understand my feeling in the Sprint due to the early retirement, today’s race was demanding, but I managed to finish, fight, and score points again. The past two weeks have been both enjoyable and challenging at times, but we are doing a good job and continuously improving. Thanks to everyone!
Diogo Moreira – P13
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