Jorge Martin delivered another statement performance at Silverstone, storming to victory in the Tissot Sprint at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Great Britain to claim his third Sprint win of the 2026 MotoGP season.
The Aprilia Racing rider produced a lights-to-flag victory from pole position, completing a golden Saturday at the British circuit while extending his championship advantage ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Martin was joined on the podium by Ai Ogura of the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team in second, while a heroic Marco Bezzecchi completed an all-Aprilia podium in third.
It marked a historic moment for Aprilia, with the Italian manufacturer celebrating its first-ever 1-2-3 finish in a MotoGP Sprint.
Starting from pole, Martin launched perfectly and immediately seized control into Turn 1.
Ogura held second position, while Fabio Di Giannantonio made an aggressive early move to climb into third.
Behind them, Bezzecchi and reigning World Champion Marc Marquez battled fiercely during the opening lap, with Marquez eventually moving ahead of the Aprilia rider to take fourth.
Martin quickly established a rhythm at the front, while Ogura remained his closest challenger.
By Lap 4 of the 10-lap Sprint, the championship-leading duo occupied the top two positions, with Martin holding an advantage of around 0.5 seconds.
While Trackhouse celebrated Ogura’s strong podium challenge, teammate Raul Fernandez suffered a major setback.
Fernandez, who had enjoyed a highly promising weekend at Silverstone, lost the front at Turn 4 while following closely behind Bezzecchi.
The crash ended his Sprint and promoted Alex Marquez into sixth.
The Gresini Ducati rider immediately began applying pressure to Bezzecchi, but the Aprilia star soon produced a decisive response.
Bezzecchi was steadily closing the gap to Di Giannantonio in the battle for third.
The Aprilia rider erased more than a second from the VR46 rider’s advantage before making his move at Copse with four laps remaining.
Bezzecchi swept through to take third and put himself on course for an emotional podium.
At the same time, both Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez began struggling badly with rear grip.
Marquez’s difficulties were particularly severe, with the reigning champion losing positions rapidly in the closing stages.
Pedro Acosta moved past the Ducati rider with one and a half laps remaining, before Joan Mir also found a way through.
On the final lap, Franco Morbidelli pushed Marquez down to ninth.
The Ducati star only managed to retain the final championship point by 0.027 seconds.
At the front, there was no stopping Martin. The Spanish Aprilia rider controlled the Sprint from start to finish to secure another three points and extend his championship lead over Ogura to 17 points heading into Sunday’s main race.
Ogura’s second-place finish limited the damage in the championship battle, while Bezzecchi’s emotional third place moved him ahead of Marc Marquez in the standings and into third overall.
For Bezzecchi, the result carried even greater significance after his recent injury struggles.
The returning #72 dug incredibly deep to fight his way onto the podium and was visibly emotional after crossing the finish line.
Alex Marquez led the Ducati contingent home in fourth, finishing behind Aprilia’s historic 1-2-3.
Di Giannantonio was fifth after losing pace late in the Sprint, followed by Pedro Acosta in sixth and Joan Mir in seventh.
Morbidelli completed the top eight, while Marc Marquez was forced to settle for ninth.
Sprint Results – British Grand Prix
- Jorge Martin – Aprilia Racing
- Ai Ogura – SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team
- Marco Bezzecchi – Aprilia Racing
- Alex Marquez – BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
- Fabio Di Giannantonio – Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
- Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- Joan Mir – Honda HRC Castrol
- Franco Morbidelli – Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
- Marc Marquez – Ducati Lenovo Team
The Sprint victory gives Martin another major psychological and championship advantage heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix.
With three Sprint victories already this season, the championship leader continues to demonstrate his ability to deliver when the pressure is highest.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
