Winners and Losers: MotoGP 2026 San Marino Grand Prix
The San Marino Grand Prix saw an all-Spanish podium along with quite a few crashes, some of which would not have been the ideal sight for the fans in attendance. Here are the winners and losers from Misano.
Winner: Marc Màrquez
The new championship leader definitely deserves the top spot on the list after his flawless performance at San Marino. He took an early lead on Lap 1 following Marco Bezzecchi’s crash, but Jorge Martín briefly overtook him on Lap 7. In classic Marc Màrquez fashion, however, the lead didn’t last long, with Marc reclaiming it on Lap 12. He has now drawn level with Martín on points, and with the way things are unfolding, we could see the title fight go all the way to Valencia.
Winner: Àlex Màrquez
Starting from fourth, he capitalised on the mishaps ahead to move into second, including a short but solid battle with Martín to take the position. However, Martín began to lose ground as the race progressed, allowing Álex to briefly look like a potential challenger for the lead. While it seemed like he could make a move on his brother, Álex ultimately settled for second.
Winner: Pedro Acosta
With Acosta completing the podium, the top three have an interesting connection, with Acosta set to become Marc’s future teammate and Álex moving to KTM’s factory team. But putting that aside, Acosta has shown much greater composure in tense situations compared to earlier in the season, where he was more prone to losing control. That improvement is a great sign for Ducati and Marc ahead of his move next year.
Loser: Marco Bezzecchi
An unfortunate start and ending for Bezzecchi, who started on pole but crashed before the end of Lap 1 after hitting a bump before braking for Turn 12. After the race, he even ruled out using pressure as an excuse and said he would simply focus on the next race.
Loser: Francesco Bagnaia
A rocky season continued with another DNF on Lap 6 at Turn 1, which probably wasn’t the sight the Italian fans in the grandstands had hoped for. More concerning, however, is the track record Bagnaia has built up, with four DNFs in his last five races.
Loser: Jorge Martín
What initially looked like a possible win, or at least a podium finish, saw Martín take the lead from Marc early on. However, he lost the position on Lap 12 and settled into second before gradually dropping back through the field, ultimately finishing fifth behind Fermín Aldeguer.
It was later revealed by Martín that he had suffered from a right arm pump. He remains unsure whether he will need surgery, but is still expected to race in Austria later this weekend.
Don’t miss the next race at the Red Bull Ring on 20th September at 13:00 BST.
Edited by Meghana Sree
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