Marc Márquez and Johann Zarco stormed ahead in qualifying to lead the way for the Sprint Race In Jerez. In the break between sessions, the track dried up but the weather remained an unknown as the riders lined up on the grid. With 12 laps around the Circuito de Jerez—Ángel Nieto, everything was up for grabs, especially when the rain came. But it was Márquez who was victorious, and the Ducati Lenovo Team took their first 1-2 of the season.
Aprilia Falls Behind At The Start
Whilst polesitter Marc Márquez got a perfect start, championship leader Marco Bezzecchi didn’t have the same fate. Getting wheel spin as the light went green, Bezzecchi fell back to P18 on the start. In contrast, his Aprilia Racing teammate Jorge Martín was initially challenging for a podium position. However, on Lap 2, he suffered a brake issue and soon fell down the grid.
Initially, Márquez had a free track and was building a gap to the riders behind. But after besting Johann Zarco, Álex Márquez was showing why he won here last year. Lapping three tenths quicker than his brother, the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP rider was quickly in the battle for first. Behind the brothers, Zarco was battling for position. However slowly, but surely, he was overtaken by Fabio Di Giannantonio, Raúl Fernández, and the KTM riders Pedro Acosta and Enea Bastianini.
In the early laps, all seemed calm and battles were happening across the grid. But, on Lap 3 reports of rain were coming in. Race control showed the white flag, allowing riders to switch to their rain bikes. All of a sudden, the rain came down and the calm opening became a race of survival.
Rain Switches The Order
With rain starting to fall, the first yellow flag came out in sector two on Lap 8. Rookie rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu slid coming into Turn 5, taking wildcard rider Lorenzo Savadori down with him. It was the first sign that the slick tyres might not be suitable.
Á. Márquez was able to overtake his brother for P1, and shortly after, the older slid out at Turn 13. M. Márquez was able to keep the bike running, however, and immediately returned to the pits to switch bikes. And he wasn’t the only rider to do so, with five others choosing to change their machinery. Red Bull KTM Factory rider Brad Binder was one of the early swappers, and consequently led the alternate strategy.
The rain started to fall more heavily, and yellow flags were coming in fast. Jack Miller, Pedro Acosta, and leader Á. Márquez all fell foul of the slick tyres losing grip on a wet track. Due to this, all the riders opted to swap bikes. The only exception was Fermín Aldeguer, who inherited the lead ahead of Binder.
From Crashing to Leading For M. Márquez
Despite crashing early on, M. Márquez found himself back at the front of the grid. Following his Ducati Lenovo Team partner Francesco Bagnaia, Binder, and Aldeguer, the Spaniard was up to fourth. With the whole grid being on the wet setup, the race didn’t ease up.
A double long lap penalty was handed to Miller for speeding in the pit lane. And Bezzecchi’s luck just got worse. After making his way back up to P13, he crashed in sector one, bringing out the seventh yellow flag. He was briefly trapped under the bike, but was quickly freed and walked away under his own steam. Binder also slid out at Turn 1, just before Aldeguer let the faster riders through.
With two laps remaining, it became a Ducati Lenovo battle for the win. A late lunge from Márquez saw him inherit the lead from Bagnaia, and he was quick to build a gap. Ultimately, he won with a three second margin.
Ducati Secure The Podium
For the first time in 2026, Ducati were back on top. Taking a 1-2 finish saw Ducati Lenovo Team’s best finish since Japan 2025. And, after gambling switching bikes early, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rider Franco Morbidelli rounded out the podium. This marks his first podium since Qatar 2025.
Whilst Ducati triumphed at the Circuito de Jerez—Ángel Nieto, it didn’t come easy. The race saw six retirements, including the Aprilia Racing duo. Marc Márquez is known for his recoveries, but today’s sprint race marked the first time a rider has won following a crash in the race. He now has two sprint victories, but he is still hungry to take a feature race win. Tomorrow is due to be dry, can he take the win in different conditions, or can someone else stand on the top step?