News Summary
- Marc Márquez left Misano leading the MotoGP championship after completing a second consecutive perfect weekend.
- Márquez and Jorge Martín are tied on 274 points, while Marco Bezzecchi remains only 33 points behind.
- Ducati believes the amount of points still available means the championship fight between Ducati and Aprilia will continue deep into the season.
Ducati is refusing to accept the role of favourite for the 2026 MotoGP World Championship despite Marc Márquez leaving Misano at the top of the standings.
Márquez completed another maximum-score weekend in the San Marino GP, following his Aragón sweep with victories in both the Sprint and Sunday’s race. The 37-point haul took him to 274 points and into the championship lead for the first time this season.
Jorge Martín, however, is level with Márquez on 274 points. The Ducati rider leads on countback thanks to five Grand Prix victories compared with Martín’s one, while Marco Bezzecchi remains third on 241, 33 points behind.
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali therefore sees little reason to declare his manufacturer the title favourite.
“There are still many points available,” Domenicali said. “The championship will be fought until the end.”
The situation represents a dramatic turnaround for Ducati. Only a few months ago, Domenicali admitted the championship had appeared “irretrievably lost” as Aprilia established itself at the front with Martín and Bezzecchi.
Ahead of Misano, Ducati already insisted the championship had become wide open, but Domenicali refused to call Márquez or Ducati the favourite while the manufacturer was still chasing Aprilia in the standings.
Misano changed the order, but not Ducati’s assessment of the fight.
Márquez won the Sprint before taking Sunday’s Grand Prix after Bezzecchi crashed out of the lead on the opening lap. Martín briefly passed Márquez and led the race, but later struggled for pace and dropped behind Álex Márquez, Pedro Acosta and Fermín Aldeguer to finish fifth.
The victory completed Márquez’s second consecutive perfect MotoGP weekend, transforming a 19-point deficit before Misano into the championship lead on countback.
Ducati’s caution is understandable given how quickly the championship has changed. Martín arrived at Aragón with a substantial advantage, but Márquez collected the maximum 74 points available across Aragón and Misano.
Bezzecchi also remains within striking distance despite his costly retirement on Sunday. With a maximum of 37 points available at every Sprint weekend, a single difficult round can dramatically alter the championship picture.
The Constructors’ Championship is similarly close. Ducati leads Aprilia by only 2 points, 412 to 410, reinforcing how finely balanced the fight between the two Italian manufacturers remains.
The title battle now moves to the Austrian GP at Spielberg from September 18-20, where Márquez will race as championship leader for the first time in 2026.
FAQ
Is Marc Márquez leading the 2026 MotoGP championship?
Yes. Márquez and Jorge Martín are tied on 274 points, but Márquez leads on countback because he has five Grand Prix victories compared with Martín’s one.
How far behind is Marco Bezzecchi after Misano?
Bezzecchi is third with 241 points, 33 behind Márquez and Martín after crashing out of the San Marino GP.
Who leads the MotoGP Constructors’ Championship?
Ducati leads Aprilia by just 2 points after Misano, with 412 points to Aprilia’s 410.
