2026 MotoGP Round 3 Grand Prix of the Americas Sprint: Martín wins with a last-lap pass, then crashes on the slowing-down lap

       The MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas Sprint produced a dramatic contest at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on 28 March 2026 local time (29 March in Beijing). Aprilia’s Jorge Martín passed Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap and won by 0.755 seconds, ending a winless run stretching back to 2024 and claiming his first victory since joining Aprilia. Incidents repeatedly transformed the ten-lap Sprint: Marco Bezzecchi crashed out, while Marc Márquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio collided on the opening lap, ending their podium challenges.

       Austin’s Circuit of the Americas is known for demanding corners and a severe physical challenge, earning it the description of a devilish circuit in the Lone Star State. Polesitter Di Giannantonio started well but could not protect the inside at Turn 1. Bagnaia judged the apex precisely to pass him, with Pedro Acosta following and Di Giannantonio and Márquez duelling for third. Championship leader Bezzecchi had a difficult start and briefly fell to seventh, well behind teammate Martín.

       Turn 12 near the end of the opening lap brought the first turning point. Márquez attempted an inside move on Di Giannantonio but entered too fast, lost control and crashed. His sliding bike struck Di Giannantonio alongside him, bringing both riders down and ending their challenge for the podium. The ‘King of Austin’ missed out on points, while Di Giannantonio, who had taken pole in Brazil the previous weekend, also lost his podium hopes. No safety car was deployed and the race continued without interruption.

       After the incident, Bagnaia quickly opened a lead, with Acosta in second and Joan Mir, Martín and Bezzecchi battling in the next group. As the race developed, Martín increasingly benefited from his medium rear tyre. Most riders had selected the soft, while the medium maintained more consistent grip over the distance. Martín worked past Mir and Acosta as the Aprilia riders moved to the front of the chasing group.

       With four laps remaining, Bezzecchi passed Martín cleanly at Turn 11 to take second and rapidly close on Bagnaia, but his challenge did not last. With three laps remaining, he made an error in the braking zone for the same corner and slid off the circuit. It was his second Sprint retirement from a strong position that season, following his crash from the lead in Thailand. His retirement promoted Martín to second, just over one second behind Bagnaia, intensifying the fight for victory.

       On the final lap, Martín launched his decisive attack, closing to 0.1 seconds at the end of the straight. At Turn 12, he seized the opportunity presented by Bagnaia’s slightly late entry to make a forceful pass and take the lead. Bagnaia fought back, but Martín’s consistent exit pace kept him ahead, and he won by 0.755 seconds. In a final twist, Martín crashed while celebrating with a wheelie on the slowing-down lap. Fortunately, he was unhurt and got up to continue enjoying his victory.

       Bagnaia finished second, providing encouragement for a Ducati team that had struggled recently. Acosta crossed the line third but received an eight-second post-race penalty for breaching tyre pressure rules, dropping him to eighth and promoting Enea Bastianini to third. Bastianini had passed Álex Márquez on the final lap on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 bike; the table places Álex fourth and Luca Marini fifth. Trackhouse teammates Ai Ogura and Raúl Fernández are listed sixth and seventh, while Johann Zarco is ninth, taking the last point.