Marc Marquez completed a flawless weekend at Misano on Sunday, transforming Saturday’s sprint success into another commanding victory and throwing the championship battle wide open. The Ducati rider recovered from an early challenge, capitalised on the misfortune of his closest rivals and crossed the finish line to claim his fifth full-length victory of the season. The result drew him level on points with Jorge Martin at the top of the standings, with Marquez taking the championship lead thanks to his greater number of race wins.
The race exploded into life almost immediately. Home favourite Marco Bezzecchi made another superb launch from pole position and looked determined to finally defeat Marquez at Misano after losing out in the sprint. However, disaster struck before the opening lap was complete. While leading the race, Bezzecchi lost the front of his Aprilia and crashed out, leaving the Italian crowd stunned and handing the initiative to the Ducati star.
Jorge Martin briefly inherited the lead and appeared ready to extend his championship advantage, but Marquez remained calm and patient. Carefully managing his tyres through the opening stages, the Spaniard steadily closed the gap before making the decisive move on lap twelve with a clean overtake. Once in front, Marquez immediately increased his pace and began pulling away, demonstrating the same relentless rhythm that had carried him to victory on Saturday.
Behind the new race leader, the battle for the podium intensified. Martin initially held second place but began to struggle with grip during the closing laps, allowing Alex Marquez to move through before Pedro Acosta also found a way past. Alex secured another impressive runner-up finish for Gresini Ducati, while Acosta completed the podium after a determined ride for KTM. Martin eventually had to settle for fourth, limiting the damage but surrendering the championship lead on the tiebreak.
The race also featured plenty of drama elsewhere. Francesco Bagnaia crashed out while trying to recover through the field, Diogo Moreira also failed to finish, and several midfield battles kept the Misano crowd entertained throughout the afternoon. Fabio Di Giannantonio, Raul Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer all collected valuable points after strong recovery rides, but none could threaten the leading trio once Marquez had established control.
As the chequered flag fell, Marquez celebrated another perfect weekend at one of motorcycle racing’s most iconic venues. Victory in both the sprint and the main race completed a maximum-points haul and completed one of the most remarkable championship comebacks of recent years. Just a few rounds ago the title appeared to be slipping away, yet after Misano the Ducati rider leaves Italy as the championship leader, setting up a thrilling final stretch to the 2026 season.
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