Mid-season celebrations: These are the big winners of the MotoGP as the summer break begins

Jorge Martin. The MotoGP championship leader undoubtedly belongs on the list of winners at the halfway point of the 2026 season – even if his position at the top of the standings is not solely down to the Madrid-born rider’s sporting exploits. Jorge Martin did not go into the season as the favourite and has so far benefited from his image as a strong outsider riding for a factory team. Neither in the final race of the 2025 season, nor in the winter tests, nor at the season opener did the 2024 champion make a big impression.

Jorge Martin: Nicht fehlerfrei – aber WM-Spitzenreiter nach elf Events

Foto: Gold and Goose

And yet Martin is having a virtually flawless season. To be more precise, Martin’s mistakes have not worked against him. On his only major blunder – namely the start-line crash in Hungary – the ‘Martinator’ also wiped out his nearest rivals in the World Championship standings. Curiously, Martin is also the leader in terms of crashes. But when it really mattered, Martin scored points, consistently finishing in the top five. Topped off with two sprint race wins and one Grand Prix victory, whilst failing to score points on just three occasions, this was enough for the not-uncontroversial Aprilia rider to be crowned the mid-season champion.

Marc Marquez. Had Marc Marquez’s season been assessed after Le Mans, the verdict would have been very different. In the first half of the season, the champion was still struggling with physical weakness and yet continued to crash. The painful highlight was the wild crash in France, which sent ‘MM93’ back to the operating theatre once again. But upon his return, Marc Marquez dazzled just as he did in his heyday. His performance in Hungary was a stroke of genius, both tactically and in terms of riding skill, which brought the icon back into contention with maximum effectiveness. Marc Marquez made up ground in the World Championship in leaps and bounds.

He went into the summer break already in third place, ahead of Marco Bezzechi, who had long dominated the series. Thanks to his strong form – mentally as well as physically – the nine-time champion has long since been regarded by his rivals as the favourite for the next title once again. Another factor is likely to be the contract he has signed for a further two years with the Ducati factory team. Marc Marquez is riding with freedom.

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Before the start of the season, critical voices dominated, but the World Championship rounds so far have shown that the rule changes are delivering exactly what was hoped for: excitement right up to the final lap.

Vanessa Georgoulas

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07.08.2026 - 10:55

2026 gilt: Wo vorne ist, ist Trackhouse Racing

Foto: Gold and Goose

Trackhouse Racing. Trackhouse Racing’s stock was still rising as late as the end of 2025. This was primarily down to the resurgent Raúl Fernández, who secured his and his team’s first victory in the top flight last October. Months later, what was once a one-off success has become a consistent performer. Since the start of the season, both riders have capitalised on the undeniable strength of the Aprilia RS-GP. Even audible friction within the team, caused by team principal Davide Brivio’s much-publicised move to Honda, did not prevent the team from churning out top performances.

The fact that Aprilia, as a manufacturer, retained the lead in the Constructors’ Championship going into the summer break is something Massimo Rivola owes in particular to Justin Marks’ US team. The customer team secured no fewer than 12 podium finishes. Incredible: at the last two GP events, both riders finished on the podium in both races. The youngest team in the premier class was thus the most successful squad ahead of the summer break. In the team standings, Superfile Trackhouse MotoGP sits in second place ahead of Ducati Lenovo. In the riders’ championship, Ogura – Jorge Martin’s closest challenger – is wearing a Trackhouse leathers.

Iker Lecuona: Als Ersatzfahrer in Richtung Top-5

Foto: Gold and Goose

Iker Lecuona. No, nobody had Iker Lecuona on their MotoGP radar. But for want of alternatives, the Spaniard was allowed to travel to Lake Balaton for a one-off appearance. A shrewd move, as Lecuona had already clocked up many extra laps at the Balaton Park Circuit as a Superbike rider. Stepping in for the injured frontrunner Alex Márquez, Iker Lecuona promoted Gresini – and himself.

Even in the sprint race, the stand-in – returning after a four-year break from regular competition in the premier class – left four rivals behind him. He crossed the line just behind Fabio Quartararo. In the GP, he also benefited from the mass crash at the front, but 7th place was still a huge success for the former KTM Tech3 rider.

Rookie Diogo Moreira: Nicht nur am Sachsenring vor Joan Mir

Foto: Gold and Goose

Diogo Moreira. Who will lead the race for the title of best rookie in 2026? Moto2 champion Diogo Moreira – or Superbike king Toprak Razgatlioglu. After eleven rounds, the Brazilian has the upper hand. Moreira got off to a flying start in his debut season. In his first GP in the premier class, the rookie finished third. Twenty-one races later, Moreira has eleven finishes in the points to his name. In the World Championship standings, the rookie sits in 15th place behind Luca Marini, but ahead of Joan Mir and his injured team-mate Johann Zarco.

A sixth-place finish as his best result speaks volumes about the rising star’s potential. Honda is well aware of this too. As a reward for his strong debut campaign, which has been free of major errors or crash-related mishaps – unlike, for example, his Honda team-mate Joan Mir – a place in the official factory team alongside new signing Fabio Quartararo beckons for 2027.

Following the applause for the five clear winners of the first half of the season, tomorrow’s second part of the mid-season review will focus on the losers, the unlucky ones and the unfortunate heroes of the MotoGP campaign so far.