Marc Marquez capitalises on Aprilia nightmare to win Mandalika sprint

Marc Marquez claimed his second consecutive sprint victory and eighth overall of the MotoGP season, triumphing in the short race at Indonesia's Mandalika circuit after capitalising on an Aprilia nightmare.

The sprint got underway with high drama at Turn 1, eliminating front-row starters Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi. The collision unfolded after both riders were challenged down the inside into the braking zone by Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, who took the tightest line.

The VR46 Ducati rider's move triggered a chain reaction, forcing Marquez to pick up his bike slightly on the exit, which in turn prompted Bezzecchi to roll off the throttle. Fernandez was left with no time to react and collided with the factory Aprilia rider, taking both out of the race on the spot.

The opening-lap chaos played right into the hands of Jorge Martin, who surged from fifth on the grid to lead ahead of Marquez and Ai Ogura—the latter having also gained four places off the line—while Di Giannantonio dropped to fourth after momentarily leading. Once out in front, Martin began to pull away, extending his lead over Marquez to 1.5 seconds.

However, on lap nine, 'The Martinator' suffered a sudden drop in pace and was forced to yield the lead to Marquez, likely due to a front tyre pressure issue. Marquez was faultless over the remaining four and a half laps of the 13-lap sprint to take victory ahead of Ogura and Di Giannantonio. Both riders also found a way past Martin, who made a costly error late on the penultimate lap and ultimately finished off the podium.

Alex Marquez crossed the line in fifth, ahead of Pedro Acosta in sixth, who had to serve a long lap penalty just past the midway mark for exceeding track limits. Fermin Aldeguer, Francesco Bagnaia, and Fabio Quartararo rounded out the points-paying positions.

Following his unexpected sprint win, Marquez takes the sole lead in the championship standings for the first time this season, holding a four-point advantage over Martin with 343 points. Bezzecchi sits third, 59 points adrift, and will need a minor miracle in the remaining rounds to keep his title hopes alive.

The Indonesian Grand Prix, the 17th round of the 2026 MotoGP season, is scheduled for tomorrow at 10:00 AM Bulgarian time and can be followed live on Sportal.bg.