Aprilia Drives Home Title Contender Intent

The return of MotoGP to Brazil saw Aprilia drive home its statement of intent as regards being a 2026 title contender, courtesy of a one-two finish by Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin

- Gaurav Davare

WHILE THE 2026 MotoGP season opener at Thailand was certainly one filled with drama, the following round was very anticipated for MotoGP as the Brazilian Grand Prix returned to the calendar after 22 years.

Held at the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna, unpredictable weather and a new track served up an interesting challenge for the riders. In fact, qualifying was a veritable crash fest, with many big names falling. Amid this chaos, it was Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) who took pole position over Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), with the reigning seven-time champion, Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), rounding off the front row.

Sprint

THERE WAS ALREADY DRAMA before the Sprint, as track surface issues meant a delay in the proceedings. Nevertheless, once racing got under way, Di Giannantonio got the start he needed to lead, and the 2021 champion, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), achieved an even better launch to be second on the opening lap. While Di Giannantonio seemed to have the early advantage, Marc Márquez made quick work of Quartararo and was slowly eating away at Di Giannantonio's lead. With three laps to go, a crucial mistake on the latter's part proved costly, allowing Márquez to take the lead. Despite a late attack by Di Giannantonio, Márquez came through to take his first Sprint win of the season by two tenths of a second. The 2024 champion, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), continued his upward trajectory from Buriram with a third-place finish, returning to the podium for the first time since the 2024 season finale.

Race