MotoGP 2026: Ducati's Marc Marquez wins the Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint

Ducati Lenovo Factory Racing’s Marc Márquez delivered a commanding performance to win the Sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix. MotoGP is back in Brazil after a decades long hiatus, with the event held at the Goiânia circuit.

A delayed start but worth the wait

The race itself was delayed by over an hour due to emergency repairs on the start/finish straight, but once underway, it produced an intense battle at the front.

As the lights went out, Pole sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio got off to a great start, followed by Marc Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin. As the race progressed, Fabio and Marc gradually pulled clear of the rest of the field, setting up an intense duel at the front of the race. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi and Martin were fighting for third position.

Marc makes the move

As the race progressed, Marquez teadily closed the gap to pole-sitter Di Giannantonio and made a decisive move in the closing stages after the Italian ran wide. The reigning champion then controlled the pace to cross the line just 0.213 seconds ahead, securing his first Sprint victory of the 2026 season.

With the Sprint completed, attention now shifts to the main Grand Prix race, where Di Giannantonio is set to start from pole position and it’ll be interesting to see who manages to keep their tyres alive during the full race distance and also stay away from crashing at the infamous Turn Four where a number of riders, including Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez crashed on Saturday during qualifying.