Raul Fernandez produced one of the finest rides of his MotoGP career to claim a memorable Tissot Sprint victory at the Italian Grand Prix, leading home an Aprilia 1-2 finish ahead of Jorge Martin in front of the passionate Mugello crowd.
The Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider controlled the race from the opening laps before resisting a late charge from the returning World Champion to secure a famous victory by 1.2 seconds, giving Aprilia a dream result on home soil.
Adding further delight for the Italian fans, local favourite Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the podium after an impressive recovery ride from seventh on the grid.
Much of the pre-race attention centered on the comeback of reigning World Champion Marc Marquez, who returned to action after missing the previous two Grands Prix due to injury and surgery.
The Ducati star immediately reminded everyone of his racecraft, launching from the second row to snatch the holeshot into Turn 1.
However, his time at the front proved short-lived.
Fernandez quickly struck back, while fellow Aprilia rider Jorge Martin and rookie sensation Diogo Moreira also moved ahead. Soon after, hometown hero Fabio Di Giannantonio joined the attack, dropping Marquez down to fifth place.
By the end of Lap 3, Fernandez had already established himself at the front, holding a half-second advantage over Martin.
Behind the leading duo, Di Giannantonio executed a superb move on Moreira through Arrabbiata 1 to move into third position, while pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi struggled to recover after a poor launch from the grid.
The championship leader eventually climbed into fourth place but found himself more than three seconds adrift of Fernandez and with significant ground to make up.
As the laps ticked down, the Spaniard maintained a relentless pace, refusing to give Martin any opportunity to launch a decisive attack.
With four laps remaining, Martin began to close the gap.
The factory Aprilia rider steadily reeled in Fernandez, reducing the margin to less than half a second and raising hopes of a dramatic final-lap showdown.
But Fernandez responded like a seasoned winner.
Each time Martin appeared ready to attack, the Trackhouse rider found extra pace, stretching the advantage back out and denying his compatriot any realistic overtaking opportunity.
A flawless final lap sealed a deeply emotional victory, with Fernandez crossing the line 1.2 seconds clear to secure maximum Sprint points and one of the biggest wins of his premier-class career.
While the battle for victory unfolded ahead, Di Giannantonio produced another standout performance.
Starting from seventh, the VR46 Ducati rider carved his way through the field to claim third place and delight the Italian supporters packed into the Mugello grandstands.
His podium finish capped a strong weekend after topping the timesheets during Friday’s running and reinforced his growing status as a consistent front-runner in 2026.
For pole-sitter Bezzecchi, fourth place represented a disappointing return after dominating qualifying.
A sluggish start effectively ended his hopes of victory before the opening lap had concluded, although valuable Sprint points helped limit the damage in the championship battle.
Meanwhile, Marquez marked his return from injury with a respectable fifth-place finish, collecting points in his first Sprint appearance since the crash that sidelined him following Le Mans.
ItalianGP Sprint Race Standings
1. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
2. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing)
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing)
5. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team)
6. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
7. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)
8. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
9. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
For Aprilia, the result represented a major statement at their home Grand Prix.
A 1-2 finish featuring both Fernandez and Martin showcased the strength of the RS-GP package at Mugello and provided the Italian manufacturer with valuable momentum heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix.
With Martin gaining ground in the championship fight, Bezzecchi still collecting solid points, and Fernandez celebrating a breakthrough Sprint triumph, Aprilia heads into race day as the manufacturer to beat on Italian soil.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
