2026 MotoGP Round 4 Spanish Grand Prix: Álex Márquez wins as Marc Márquez crashes out

       Álex Márquez delivered Ducati’s first MotoGP Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season at the Spanish Grand Prix on 26 April. It was a mixed day for the manufacturer, however, as both factory Ducati riders retired.

       The younger Márquez had struggled to reach the front in the opening rounds, but rebounded strongly at Jerez. Starting fifth, he took the lead on lap two and went on to a commanding victory. It was his second consecutive Spanish Grand Prix win after claiming his maiden victory here the previous year, and Ducati’s first return to the top since the preceding season’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

       Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi finished second after a run of five consecutive victories, while VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the podium in third.

       Polesitter Marc Márquez made a clean start and led into Turn 1, but immediately faced pressure from Bezzecchi and Álex Márquez, who had both climbed rapidly from the second row to follow closely behind.

       Álex Márquez had the strongest pace of the three. He passed Bezzecchi with ease and immediately attacked his brother. Early on lap two he continued to close the gap, then made the decisive move on the inside at Turn 6 to take the lead.

       With Álex Márquez having been fastest throughout the weekend in dry conditions, Marc’s chances of retaking the lead already looked slim. He then lost the front at Turn 11 and crashed, ending his race.

       After the reigning champion retired, Bezzecchi became Álex Márquez’s main challenger. Jorge Martín had made a fast start from tenth and climbed to third, but Di Giannantonio soon joined the battle, passing Martín on lap four to take third and begin pursuing Bezzecchi.

       Bezzecchi resisted the pressure and held his position, but their contest allowed Álex Márquez to pull further away. By halfway he led by almost two seconds, and he maintained that margin to the finish to claim his fourth premier-class victory.

       Bezzecchi’s winning streak ended, but second place consolidated his championship lead. Di Giannantonio took his second Sunday podium in four races, while Martín brought home valuable points in fourth.

       Trackhouse riders Ai Ogura and Raúl Fernández worked their way forward from the middle of the points-paying positions to finish fifth and sixth respectively. Both passed LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco late in the race. Zarco’s seventh place was Honda’s best result of the season to that point.

       Tech3’s Enea Bastianini was the highest-placed KTM rider, beating factory star Pedro Acosta. Acosta finished tenth, behind Gresini rider Fermín Aldeguer.

       Two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia had been running ninth ahead of Acosta, but suddenly lost power on lap thirteen and returned to the pits to retire. Together with Marc Márquez’s earlier crash, this left the factory Ducati team with a double retirement.

       Bagnaia’s retirement promoted Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli to eleventh and twelfth. Factory Honda rider Luca Marini recovered to thirteenth after a poor start had dropped him to eighteenth. Teammate Joan Mir fought back after serving a long-lap penalty to finish fifteenth, just behind Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.