Bezzecchi Makes MotoGP History: Five Wins in a Row and a New Record in Austin

• Bezzecchi wins for the fifth time in a row and sets a new MotoGP record with 121 consecutive laps led
• Aprilia celebrates a second consecutive Sunday 1-2 finish, Martín finishes second at 2.036 seconds
• Marc Márquez fights back from eleventh to fifth after serving a long-lap penalty

The third round of the 2026 MotoGP season promised high drama even before the start. On Saturday, Martín had won the Sprint with a bold tire strategy after Bezzecchi crashed while attempting to overtake Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia. That DNF had cost Bezzecchi the championship lead, temporarily handing it to his teammate. In the Grand Prix, the Italian needed to deliver an answer, and he did so in emphatic fashion.

A Chaotic Start and Immediate Takeover

Bezzecchi started from fourth on the grid after receiving a two-place grid penalty for impeding Marc Márquez during qualifying. Luca Marini was hit with an identical penalty. Polesitter Fabio Di Giannantonio failed to convert his starting position into an early lead and dropped to fourth, while Pedro Acosta grabbed the holeshot from second on the grid.

The KTM rider’s lead was short-lived, however. On the opening lap, Bezzecchi made his move in Turn 11 and pulled alongside Acosta on the back straight. The two machines made contact, and Acosta nearly lost control of his RC16. Both riders stayed upright, but Bezzecchi had seized the lead and would not relinquish it.

For Martín, who started from seventh, the opening lap went far more smoothly. He slotted into third behind Acosta and initially observed the battle for the lead from a safe distance.

A Record for the Ages

During the opening three laps, Bezzecchi had another mission: breaking Jorge Lorenzo’s record from 2015. Lorenzo had led 103 consecutive laps during his winning streak that year. When Bezzecchi crossed the line first at the end of lap three, he completed his 104th consecutive lap in the lead, surpassing the Spanish former world champion’s record.

That streak dates back to the Malaysian Grand Prix in October 2025 at Sepang. Since then, Bezzecchi has led every single lap of every Grand Prix. By the checkered flag in Austin, the tally had grown to 121. For comparison, previous record holder Lorenzo reached 103, and no other rider in MotoGP history had even reached 100.

Acosta Fights Back, Martín Lurks

In the phase following the lead change, a tight three-way battle initially developed. Despite the contact and despite his KTM’s inferior straight-line speed, Acosta managed to stay within striking distance of Bezzecchi, while Martín followed closely in third. From lap six onward, Bezzecchi began to push harder, first building a gap of eight tenths before extending it to over a second.

Meanwhile, Martín came under pressure from Di Giannantonio after experiencing a threatening moment at the start of lap seven in Turn 1. The Spaniard’s front wheel nearly tucked, and he only barely held off Di Giannantonio’s Ducati. But the 2024 world champion regrouped and gradually closed back in on Acosta. On lap 14, he capitalized on a mistake by the KTM rider in Turn 1 to move into second place and complete a second consecutive Aprilia 1-2 finish.

In the closing stages, the battle at the front tightened again. Martín closed the gap to under a second and at times appeared to pose a genuine threat to Bezzecchi. But the leader found the right response and brought home the victory with a comfortable margin of 2.036 seconds.

Ogura’s Misfortune and the Márquez Comeback Ride

One of the most impressive performances of the race came from Ai Ogura of the Trackhouse Aprilia team, who ultimately came away empty-handed. The Japanese rider systematically worked his way forward from midfield, passing Alex Márquez on lap nine in Turn 10 and overtaking Bagnaia with a spectacular move in Turn 11 on lap 11. Two laps later, he passed Di Giannantonio and was on course for his maiden MotoGP podium.

Then fate intervened: Ogura slowed coming out of Turn 11 and was unable to continue. A gearbox malfunction on his RS-GP destroyed all podium hopes, and the Trackhouse team could only watch as their rider parked the bike at the side of the track. Team manager David Brivio could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Marc Márquez, meanwhile, endured a weekend to forget. On Friday, the nine-time world champion had crashed at over 190 km/h in Turn 10. In Saturday’s Sprint, he collided with Di Giannantonio in Turn 12, earning him a long-lap penalty for the Grand Prix. In the race, the Ducati factory rider served his penalty early, dropped to eleventh, and had to fight his way back through the field. On lap 15, he pulled off a double overtake on his brother Alex and Enea Bastianini. With three laps remaining, he also passed Bagnaia but was immediately repassed by the KTM rider. In the end, Márquez salvaged fifth place, matching the pace of the leaders in the second half of the race but simply too far back to challenge.

Bagnaia, who had led the Sprint for a long time on Saturday, had a difficult Sunday. The two-time MotoGP world champion lost significant pace in the closing stages and even dropped behind Luca Marini on the final lap to finish tenth.

Tribute to Nicky Hayden and Hall of Fame Ceremony

Away from the sporting action, the Austin weekend also featured an emotional tribute. Twenty years after Nicky Hayden’s world championship title, his Repsol Honda was displayed on the grid before the race. The American, who passed away in 2017, had won one of the most memorable world titles in history in 2006 and remains one of the most beloved figures in motorcycle racing.

Additionally, three American legends were inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame during the race weekend: Kevin Schwantz, the 1993 world champion, Freddie Spencer, who won both the 250cc and 500cc world championships in the same season in 1985, and Kenny Roberts, who in 1978 became the first rookie and first American to win a Grand Prix world title. All three were present at the circuit and watched the race from the starting grid.

The VR46 team also made headlines off the track. Franco Morbidelli and his teammate Di Giannantonio had visited New York in the week before the race, attending a basketball game and visiting the New York Stock Exchange. The team unveiled a special livery in Austin featuring the Manhattan skyline, inspired by the Statue of Liberty.

Championship Standings: Bezzecchi Back on Top, Márquez Falling Behind

The victory allowed Bezzecchi to reclaim the championship lead that he had lost to Martín after his Sprint crash on Saturday. With 81 points, he now holds a four-point advantage over Martín (77 points). Acosta sits third as the leading KTM rider with 60 points, followed by Di Giannantonio (50) and Márquez (45). The reigning world champion is already 36 points behind the leader after just three race weekends, equivalent to nearly a full Grand Prix weekend.

Bezzecchi’s Sunday record is remarkable: he has collected all 75 available Sunday points this season. His weakness lies exclusively in the Sprints, where he crashed in both Thailand and Austin, leaving approximately 21 points on the table. Without those errors, his championship lead would be significantly larger.

In the constructors’ championship, the result means Aprilia now leads with 101 points, holding a 32-point advantage over the nearest rival. This represents a new development in recent MotoGP history, where Ducati had been the dominant force for years.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, the Superbike World Champion, scored his first MotoGP point in fifteenth place, making him the best-placed Yamaha rider in Austin. Joan Mir crashed out again and has not finished a Grand Prix since the season opener in Thailand.

The next race takes place from April 24 to 26 at the Spanish circuit in Jerez. The Qatar Grand Prix, originally scheduled as the fourth round, has been postponed. The four-week break should particularly benefit Márquez, who is still dealing with the aftermath of his shoulder surgery.

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