Starting from pole, Bagnaia led the charge, holding off Pramac’s Franco Morbidelli into Turn 1.
In a race packed with drama, strategy, and changing weather, Gresini’s Marc Marquez delivered a stellar performance to claim victory at the Misano Grand Prix! Marquez’s triumph marks his second consecutive win in MotoGP, a feat he hadn’t achieved since 2021. Meanwhile, Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia played a clever game, slicing Jorge Martin’s championship lead down to just seven points as the Pramac rider’s gamble on bike swaps backfired in spectacular fashion.
Starting from pole, Bagnaia led the charge, holding off Pramac’s Franco Morbidelli into Turn 1. Morbidelli held strong in second, keeping teammate Martin at bay. But Martin wasn’t having it—he quickly overtook Morbidelli and set his sights on Bagnaia. The race looked like it could swing in Martin’s favor until a tense moment at Turn 1, where contact with Bagnaia forced Martin to sit up, allowing Morbidelli and the hard-charging GasGas rider, Pedro Acosta, to close in.
The action heated up even more as Acosta tried to pass Morbidelli at Turn 5, only for a collision to damage his wing, resulting in a crash. Acosta managed to rejoin the race, but his chances of a strong finish had slipped away.
Morbidelli, looking like the fastest rider on track, was on a mission to catch Martin when disaster struck—he crashed out of third place, ending his podium hopes. As light rain began to fall, Martin saw his opportunity and started closing the gap on Bagnaia, only to run wide and lose his shot at an overtake. With the rain intensifying, teams debated whether to switch to wet tires.
Martin decided to roll the dice, pitting to change bikes along with several other riders, including Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales, and Yamaha’s Alex Rins. However, the decision proved disastrous. The rain didn’t stay heavy enough, and they were forced to switch back to dry bikes on Lap 10, dashing any hopes of a victory as the leaders lapped them.
Out front, Marquez took full advantage, seizing the lead from Bagnaia as the gap between the top eight riders closed rapidly. Bagnaia played it smart, shadowing Marquez while keeping a safe distance from his championship rivals further down the order. With a comfortable margin over Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini in third, Bagnaia settled for a solid finish.
Marquez cruised to a well-earned second straight victory, with Bagnaia and Bastianini rounding out the podium. Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder fought hard to secure fourth, followed by VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi in fifth. Gresini’s Alex Marquez edged out Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo for sixth in a thrilling drag race to the line.
Behind them, Jack Miller took eighth for KTM, just ahead of VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio in ninth and Red Bull KTM wildcard Pol Espargaro, who completed the top 10. Trackhouse’s Miguel Oliveira was the top Aprilia finisher in 11th, leading the Honda trio of Johann Zarco, Takaaki Nakagami, and Stefan Bradl.
Despite a nightmare race, Martin salvaged a single point in 15th, just ahead of Aprilia’s Viñales. Acosta, who crashed on the fourth lap, ended up 17th, while Raul Fernandez and Alex Rins rounded out the classified finishers.
Aleix Espargaro retired after an ill-fated double bike swap, and Repsol Honda had no riders on the grid after Luca Marini fell ill overnight and Joan Mir withdrew earlier in the weekend due to gastroenteritis.
What a race at Misano! Marquez is back in dominant form, and with Bagnaia cutting Martin’s championship lead, the title fight is far from over. Buckle up, MotoGP fans—this season is heating up!