Sprint winner Marc Marquez admits: “Martin was faster than me”

MotoGP is making its final appearance at Phillip Island; from 2027, the Adelaide street circuit will take over. Under grey skies, the forecast had predicted rain before the start, but the 13-lap sprint remained dry. Marc Marquez started the race from pole position: despite a crash at Turn 4 in the wet Q2 session, the Ducati factory rider had clocked a time of 1:34.203 on a damp track, giving him a lead of almost 1.5 seconds over his brother Alex.

A lap-long battle: Marc Marquez vs. Jorge Martin

Marquez got off to a good start, but championship leader Jorge Martin got off to an even better one: the Aprilia rider overtook Johann Zarco (LCR-Honda) and Alex Marquez (Gresini-Ducati) on the first lap and settled in behind the number 93. Team-mate Marco Bezzecchi dropped back to 12th place after a poor start, whilst Zarco retired shortly afterwards with a technical problem.

After that, the much-anticipated title battle unfolded. Martin overtook for the first time at Lukey Heights in Turn 10, but shortly afterwards made a mistake in Turn 4 that nearly sent him crashing. Time and again, he used the slipstream on the home straight to overtake Marquez, who always regained the lead shortly afterwards. The two traded the lead back and forth for several laps.

Martin slips up, Marquez wins: World Championship lead changes hands yet again

With five laps to go, the duel was over: Martin missed the ideal line and slid into the gravel trap at Turn 8. He was taken to the Medical Centre for a check-up. Marc then kept his closest pursuer – his brother Alex – at bay and celebrated his 24th sprint victory. This makes him the most successful sprint rider. Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46-Ducati) completed the podium.

Instead of trailing by two points, Marquez now has a ten-point lead; he tops the standings with 365 points ahead of Martin (355) and Bezzecchi (315). “It was a close battle. I was aggressive, and he was faster than me, but I tried to defend myself as best I could,” said the Spaniard. “We both deserved the win, but that’s just how racing goes. Today, luck was on my side.”

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25.10.2026 - 00:35