MotoGP 2026 Round 4 Report | Alex Marquez reigns supreme in Jerez

MotoGP Round 4 | Alex Marquez reigns supreme in Jerez. It was back-to-back Spanish GP wins for the #73 on home turf as early drama unfolded for the reigning World Champion. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP Press

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

It’s been a tougher start to 2026 for Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) at times, but the #73’s Friday afternoon outing at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain saw him right back on top with some searing pace. The 2025 Spanish GP winner ended the opening day of MotoGP action in Jerez with a whopping 0.333s advantage over second fastest Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49), thanks to Marquez’s rapid 1:35.704. World Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72) completed the top three, while Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37) faced Q1 for the first time this season.

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Making his mark on home turf, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team #93) was able to bag a first pole of the 2026 season, and first since Hungary 2025, in a classic head-to-head battle for qualifying supremacy in Jerez. Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR #5) duelled him to the wire, only a tenth and a half back as the two carved out a league of their own in the damp. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) continued his impressive run in qualifying to complete the front row as the first of those on the chase.

Moto2

Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #81) was the rider to beat heading into Saturday’s action at the Spanish Grand Prix after the Austin race winner slammed in a new Jerez Moto2 lap record in Practice. The Australian’s 1:38.973 was followed closely by Alonso Lopez’s (Italjet Gresini Moto2 #21) best effort, the Spaniard sat 0.079s away from Agius after the opening day, with FP1 pacesetter Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing #7) third quickest.

For the first time since the 1991 Japanese GP, a Dutchman would line up on pole position in the Moto2 class after Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo #95) stuck his Kalex-Triumph next to the P1 board in Saturday’s parc ferme in Jerez. Veijer set a 1:39.101 in an incredibly competitive pole shootout which saw Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team #11) and championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #18) complete a front row split by just 0.095s.

Moto3

Perfection was the order of the day for Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #28) as the 18-year-old led the charge on the opening day of his home Grand Prix. P1 across both FP1 and Practice, the #28 firmly laid down the gauntlet to the opposition ahead of Saturday’s qualifying sessions at Jerez.

Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) posted a 1:44.070 to pull an impressive 0.375 clear for pole position in Jerez, with conditions drying out by qualifying for Moto3 and the #28 proving unstoppable. David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #64) took second as he returned from injury and immediately made a mark, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo #83) completing the top three and front row.

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

History rarely repeats itself in such dramatic fashion, but Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) managed the extraordinary in Jerez: crashing and still winning the Sprint. The #93 took victory at home ahead of teammate Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo #63), who charged from P10, and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #21), who stormed from P18 to the podium.

Marc Marquez launched perfectly from pole, with Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) holding second as the pack shuffled behind. Alex Marquez jumped to third, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing #89) slotted into fourth and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) into fifth. Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) suffered a disastrous start, dropping to P16 after a tear‑off issue.

Marc Marquez began edging clear, but the chase intensified. Martin attacked Alex Marquez, only for the #73 to fight back at Turn 1, forcing the #89 wide as he battled overheating brakes. Alex Marquez then dispatched Zarco for second. With 10 laps to go, rain began to fall and the white flag came out, allowing bike swaps far earlier than usual.

Despite the drops, Zarco and Diggia fought hard for third until Diggia secured the spot, with Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #25) climbing to fourth. Behind them, Zarco came under pressure from a KTM trio: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #23) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #33). Bastianini eventually broke through.

At the front, Alex Marquez reeled in Marc Marquez and took the lead with six laps remaining, just as Diggia closed in. Then chaos erupted. Rain intensified, Marc Marquez crashed at the final corner, picked the bike up and immediately pitted for wets – a decisive move. Others stayed out, Binder leading the pit‑lane group.

Alex Marquez then crashed too, forcing the rest to pit as conditions worsened. Binder briefly inherited the net lead before falling himself. That opened the door for Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, who blasted past Fermin Aldeguer as the slick gamble collapsed.

Marc Marquez, from P1 to P17 to P1 again, completed a stunning comeback to win ahead of Bagnaia, with Morbidelli taking a remarkable third. Binder salvaged fourth, Diggia fifth, Raul Fernandez sixth and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20) seventh.

“It’s my first victory with a crash, and it’s true that I crashed in the best corner in the best moment. That lap, I was thinking to go in [to the pits], but then Alex [Marquez] was leading the race, and I made the mistake to follow him. But somebody today gave me that extra luck that I crashed on that last corner. I just waited for everybody to pass, and I knew it was the only chance to put the rain tyres on that lap. I saw on the main straight ‘P3’, and I pushed. So happy with this victory,” Marc Marquez reflected.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
2. Francesco Bagnaia (+3.050s)
3. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+7.493s)
4. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+8.752s)
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+9.237s)

Sunday
MotoGP

Back‑to‑back home MotoGP wins are the stuff of dreams, and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) delivered exactly that with a superb ride in the 2026 Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain. The #73 mastered a dramatic race that saw Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) crash out of second on Lap 2. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) saw his record‑breaking winning streak end but still claimed a valuable P2, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) secured P3 to climb to third in the standings.

Marc Marquez launched perfectly from pole, taking the holeshot as Bezzecchi surged to P2 and Alex Marquez slotted into P3. The Gresini rider quickly moved past Bezzecchi at Turn 9, then attacked Marc Marquez at Turn 6 to take the lead. Moments later, huge drama: Marc Marquez crashed at Turn 11 on Lap 2, suffering a second straight early DNF at Jerez. He walked away unhurt, but his title defence took another hit.

Alex Marquez built a 0.6s gap over Bezzecchi as Di Giannantonio passed Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) for P3 on Lap 5. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) then dropped from P7 to P9 after contact with Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team). Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) soon moved ahead of the Spaniard as well.

By Lap 10, Alex Marquez led by 1.6s, with Bezzecchi holding Di Giannantonio at bay. Martin remained close in P4, with Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) in P5. Lap 12 brought more Ducati misery as Bagnaia pulled into pitlane with a technical issue, which frustratingly ended his race.

Alex Marquez maintained a steady advantage, keeping Bezzecchi at arm’s length while the Aprilia rider did the same to Di Giannantonio. Behind them, the fight for the top six intensified as Fernandez and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia #79) both passed Zarco with late, decisive moves.

Up front, Alex Marquez managed the final laps perfectly, waving to the packed hillsides before sealing a second straight Spanish GP win. Bezzecchi finished P2 to extend his championship lead to 11 points over Martin, while Di Giannantonio’s P3 moved him up to third overall. Ogura won the P5 battle, with Fernandez P6 and Zarco P7.

“There’s not many words to describe this moment. We struggled a lot at the beginning of the year, but this weekend it looks like we had a good rest that we had in this break over four weeks. We came here 100 per cent motivated and had a good feeling with really good flow. And today for me was clear – go from the first lap and push, trying to take the lead and put my rhythm,” explained Alex Marquez.

MotoGP Race Results

1. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati
2. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing (+1.903s)
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+5.796s)
4. Jorge Martin Aprilia Racing (+9.229s)
5. Ai Ogura Trackhouse Aprilia (+9.891s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

1. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing – 101
2. Jorge Martin Aprilia Racing – 90
3. Fabio di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 71
4. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM – 66
5. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 57

Moto2

Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) made history at the Spanish GP, securing back‑to‑back Moto2 wins for the first time after a tense three‑way fight. World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez delivered a dream 1‑2 for the team with P2, while polesitter Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed his first podium of 2026 in P3.

Gonzalez grabbed the holeshot, but Veijer immediately attacked and took the lead at Turn 6. David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #80) suffered a disastrous start, dropping from the second row to P17, while Austin winner Agius climbed to P2. Alonso recovered to P11 by the end of Lap 1, and Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing) also surged forward, moving into P5 behind Veijer, Agius, Gonzalez and Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2). Alonso was P8 by Lap 4.

Lap 5 brought a flurry of lead changes as Agius and Veijer traded blows. Then, at Turn 1 on Lap 6, contact between Alonso, teammate Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team #96) and Alex Escrig (KLINT Factory Team) dropped the Colombian four places, leaving the #80 and Holgado in P10 and P9 More drama followed. Baltus crashed out of P4 at Turn 6, and moments later, Lopez, newly promoted to P4, also fell. That left a clear three‑rider fight: Veijer, Agius and Gonzalez, four seconds ahead of Escrig.

On Lap 14, Agius made a decisive move at Turn 8, slicing past Veijer for the lead. One corner later, Gonzalez also overtook the Dutchman for P2. Agius led, but the pressure never eased. With three laps remaining, his advantage over Gonzalez was under three tenths, with Veijer another 0.4s back. Heading onto the final lap, the order remained unchanged.

Gonzalez couldn’t close in, and Veijer had nothing left. Agius, threatening this level all weekend, sealed his first Moto2 double, with Gonzalez and Veijer completing the podium. P2 allowed Gonzalez to retain the championship lead.

Moto2 Race Results

1. Senna Agius LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP
2. Manuel Gonzalez LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (+0.885s)
3. Collin Veijer Red Bull KTM Ajo (+1.107s)
4. David Alonso CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (+2.032s)
5. Celestino Vietti Beta Tools SpeedRS Team (+4.212s)

Moto2 Championship Points

1. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 59.5
2. Senna Agius LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP – 50
3. Izan Guevara BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 – 45
4. Celestino Vietti HDR SpeedRS Team – 43
5. Daniel Holgado CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team – 38

Moto3

An epic Moto3 showdown in Jerez saw Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) return to the top step with his second win of the season, delivering under pressure at his home Grand Prix. The #28 broke clear in the closing laps, while the fight for second went down to the wire as Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing #31) edged out David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) after a fierce final‑lap duel.

David Muñoz grabbed the holeshot but Quiles struck back at Turn 8 to lead the opening lap. Before the race had even settled, Leo Rammerstorfer (SIC58 Squadra Corse #5) failed to launch and Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP‑MTA #18) crashed at Turn 1, ending his strongest weekend of the year.

By Lap 6, Muñoz had reeled Quiles back in, with Fernandez joining the fight and muscling into P2. One lap later, Fernandez took the lead. Behind them, Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #97) held P4 after dropping Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), while a large group battled over fifth. Further back, COTA winner Guido Pini (Leopard Racing #94) crashed out, followed a lap later by Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team #10).

On Lap 15, Quiles retook the lead at Turn 1 and immediately upped the pace, dropping into the high 1’44s to assert control. Muñoz stayed close, with Fernandez maintaining touch in P3. But with three laps remaining, Muñoz ran wide at Turn 1, losing over half a second and giving Quiles breathing room. The fight for P2 then tightened as Morelli joined Fernandez and Muñoz in a three‑way scrap.

The final lap began with an Aspar 1‑2, Quiles leading Morelli, while Fernandez and Muñoz prepared for a last‑corner showdown. The pair traded paint at Turns 6, 8 and 9 before the decisive drag to the line. Muñoz launched one final attack at Turn 13, but Fernandez held firm to secure second, with Morelli just behind in P4.

Up front, Quiles was untouchable, sealing his second win of 2026 and capping a dominant home weekend. Carpe finished fifth, Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia #9) took sixth and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #73) crossed the line seventh as Spain locked out the podium in Jerez.

Moto3 Race Results

1. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team
2. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing (+1.991s)
3. David Munoz Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (+2.009s)
4. Marco Morelli CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (+2.049s)
5. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo (+9.926s)

Moto3 Championship Points

1. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 90
2. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo – 53
3. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing – 49
4. Valentin Perrone Red Bull KTM Tech3 – 47
5. Marco Morelli CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 45

How Did the Aussies Do?

Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP #43) went down in the Sprint before remounting and rejoining proceedings on his second bike, only for a pit‑lane speeding penalty to drop him to 16th. In the main race, a rear‑brake problem left him fighting the bike more than the field, as he eventually came home 18th.

Fresh off his win in Texas, Senna Agius arrived at Jerez full of confidence and immediately showed he was still in top form. He qualified fourth to back up his excellent Friday and rightfully felt strong heading into race day. And once the lights went out, he climbed to third on lap one, latched onto the leaders, took second by lap five and then seized control in the final third of the race. From there, he never relinquished his lead, going on to record another superb victory.

After qualifying a solid seventh, Joel Kelso’s (GRYD – MLav Racing #66) race unfortunately didn’t go to plan, as issues with the bike ensured it was a real struggle on his way to 14th.