Marc Márquez wins San Marino sprint in Misano to cut Jorge Martín title lead to 14 points

Overtake into the opening corner

Marc Márquez secured victory in the MotoGP sprint race at the San Marino Grand Prix in Misano Adriatico on Saturday. Starting from second on the grid aboard his factory Ducati, the Spanish rider gained an immediate advantage off the line to challenge pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi into the first turn. Márquez executed an inside pass under braking at the opening right-hand corner, taking the lead before the field completed the opening lap.

Márquez quickly opened a gap over the field, establishing a one-second lead over Bezzecchi within the first five laps of the 13-lap sprint. The win followed his double victory in sprint and feature races at Motorland Aragón. Although Bezzecchi attempted a response during the middle phase of the contest to reduce the margin, Márquez retained control of the pace. With three laps remaining, the Ducati rider set the fastest lap of the sprint to protect his advantage and cross the finish line in first place.

Tire strategy and top-ten finishers

Tire management on the starting grid factored heavily into the race outcome. While the Aprilia riders selected the soft rear compound, Márquez chose a medium rear tire to maintain pace over the full sprint distance. The choice allowed him to push in the closing laps without suffering significant grip loss against his rivals.

Championship leader Jorge Martín started from fifth place on the second row and worked through traffic during the opening laps. Martín climbed into third place on lap seven, the exact midpoint of the 13-lap contest, and held the position to the checkered flag. Fabio di Giannantonio crossed the line in fourth place, followed by Álex Márquez in fifth and Pedro Acosta in sixth. Raúl Fernández took seventh place, with Fermín Aldeguer in eighth, Luca Marini in ninth, and Johann Zarco completing the top ten.

Championship standings and post-qualifying exchange

The victory earned Márquez 12 points and reduced Martín's championship lead by five points. Martín retains first place in the standings with 263 points, while Márquez trails by 14 points and Bezzecchi sits 22 points behind the leader. Bezzecchi had entered his home event aiming to convert his qualifying pace into points, but the Italian rider settled for second place after being unable to close down Márquez.

Earlier on Saturday, Bezzecchi had secured pole position by posting a lap time below the 1:30 mark during Q2. Márquez admitted after qualifying that matching that pace in single-lap qualifying had seemed out of reach.

When I saw 1' 29" I said... ciao

Starting grid and Sunday outlook

The grid for Sunday's full-distance Grand Prix will repeat the qualifying positions established on Saturday morning. Bezzecchi will launch from pole position at his home circuit, with Márquez starting alongside in second place and Martín starting from fifth. With 14 points separating the top two riders and 22 points covering the top three contenders, the Sunday race provides an opportunity for Márquez to challenge Martín directly for the lead of the world championship.