MotoGP Recap - Ducati back on the top step as MotoGP raced in Jerez
29 April 2026After a short Spring break, MotoGP returned last weekend, as riders and teams headed to Jerez for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain.
Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Maverick Viñales was absent from the paddock once again, as he continues recovering from surgery to rectify a displaced screw in his shoulder. Whilst KTM didn’t replace Viñales for the weekend, we saw wildcard entries from Aprilia and Yamaha, with Lorenzo Savadori and Augusto Fernandez taking part in this weekend’s on-track action, ahead of the Test on Monday.
Marc Marquez achieves first pole position in 245 days
Tricky weather conditions dictated much of Saturday’s two qualifying sessions, but Marc Marquez was able to capitalise on this to secure his first pole position since the 2025 Grand Prix of Hungary. Q1 saw a damp track catching out many riders, with Pedro Acosta and Johann Zarco graduating to Q2. A strong Q2 lap saw Zarco then qualify 2nd, with Fabio Di Giannantonio taking the final spot on the front row, giving us the first MotoGP front row of 2026 to not feature an Aprilia.
Ducati Lenovo Team take 1-2 in chaotic Sprint
The unpredictable conditions continued into Saturday's Sprint, leading to a dramatic 12 laps and a very unexpected podium. Marc Marquez got a brilliant start from pole, and was leading the Sprint as drops of rain began hitting the track and white flags were waved, indicating that riders were allowed to swap bikes. As the laps counted down, Alex Marquez, running in 2nd, closed in on the race leader, and with six laps to go, the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP rider made the pass to take the lead.
Marc Marquez’s Sprint appeared to be over when he crashed at Turn 13 with five laps remaining, but the reigning MotoGP World Champion used the flag-to-flag procedure to his advantage, remounting his bike to ride into pitlane, to swap bikes and rejoin the race, alongside Brad Binder, Francesco Bagnaia, Alex Rins, Franco Morbidelli and Augusto Fernandez who were the first to make the decision to come in and make the switch.
With four laps remaining, Alex Marquez crashed from the lead of the race as conditions worsened. The majority of riders had finally decided to swap over to their wet setups, whilst riders who were yet to swap bikes found themselves tiptoeing around the track. A fall for Binder saw Bagnaia and Marc Marquez become the leading riders on wet tyres, and after passing race leader Fermin Aldeguer, who was at that point still on slicks, the Ducati Lenovo Team duo of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez were leading. A daring overtake from far back saw Marc Marquez take the lead from his teammate, and allowed him to ride to his second Sprint victory of 2026, with Bagnaia taking back-to-back 2nd place Sprint finishes, and Morbidelli securing 3rd, his first podium of the season.
Saturday’s Sprint sees DNFs for Aprilia Racing teammates
Current Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi had another disastrous 2026 Sprint, as a visor tear-off under his rear wheel saw him plummet from 4th down to 17th after the opening corners, before then crashing with three laps remaining. Bezzecchi’s teammate, Jorge Martin was forced to retire just a couple of laps into the Sprint with a braking issue, after a strong start saw him running in 4th after starting from 10th on the grid. Aprilia test rider Savadori’s Sprint ended with five laps to go, as Toprak Razgatlıoğlu became one of the first victims of the wet conditions, taking Savadori with him as he slid off track.
Alex Marquez claims back-to-back MotoGP wins in Jerez
After claiming his first premier class Grand Prix victory at last year’s visit to Jerez, Alex Marquez gave us another impressive performance to take his second consecutive win at the Grand Prix of Spain, putting Ducati back on top step of the Grand Prix podium for the first time in six months. Although his brother, Marc Marquez, got a great start from pole position and led throughout the first lap, it wasn’t far into Lap 2 that Alex made the pass, and never looked back. After Marc Marquez then crashed out from 2nd further into Lap 2, a gap formed, and the younger Marquez brother went on to take victory with a gap of almost two seconds back to Marco Bezzecchi who finished 2nd, with Fabio Di Giannantonio rounding out the podium.
Agius achieves consecutive Moto2 victory
Senna Agius became the first Australian Moto2 rider to achieve back-to-back Grand Prix victories since Remy Gardner in 2021, after he beat out his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP teammate Manuel Gonzalez, and polesitter Colin Veijer for the win. Veijer, having claimed his first pole position in Moto2, was leading for much of the 21 lap race, but after being passed by both Agius and Gonzalez on Lap 14, dropped back and had to settle for 3rd. In the final few laps, Agius began to build up a gap back to Gonzalez, and reached the chequered flag 0.8 seconds ahead of Gonzalez, who with a 2nd place finish, maintains the Championship lead.
Quiles takes home win in Moto3 race
After riding with Adrian Fernandez and David Muñoz for much of the race, Maximo Quiles took the lead of Sunday’s Moto3 race on Lap 15 and pulled the pin, finishing with an advantage of just under two seconds to take his second win of the 2026 season. The final lap saw an incredible battle for the last two podium spots between Fernandez, Muñoz, and Marco Morelli, culminating in all three riders riding side by side across the line, with Fernandez taking 2nd, and Muñoz clinching 3rd.
Trackhouse teammates top Jerez Test
Sunday’s Grand Prix didn’t mark the end of the action at Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, as MotoGP riders were back out on track on Monday for a day of testing. Teams tested a variety of items from aero to electronics across the two sessions, and it was Trackhouse MotoGP Team’s Ai Ogura who ended the day at the top of the timesheets, with teammate Raul Fernandez close behind in 2nd.
Next up, MotoGP visits Le Mans for the Michelin Grand Prix of France, where flag-to-flag drama saw home hero Johann Zarco take a historic win in last year’s Grand Prix. With Aprilia and Ducati taking the Grands Prix victories so far this season, what can Zarco and Honda do to fight for the French GP win in 2026?
