Alex Marquez charged from fifth to a commanding home victory, delivering Ducati’s first MotoGP grand prix success of the 2026 season.
Marquez takes control at Jerez
Alex Marquez won the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix for BK8 Gresini Racing at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, turning a second-row start into Ducati’s first MotoGP grand prix victory of the season.
Marquez started fifth and immediately joined the lead battle. Marc Marquez made a clean launch from pole position and claimed the holeshot into Turn 1, with Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez making quick starts from the second row to slot in directly behind him.
The Gresini rider soon moved forward. He passed Bezzecchi, reeled in his elder brother and made the race-defining move at the start of lap two. Alex dived to the inside at Turn 6 and took first place before the contest had settled.
His early attack came with the pace to back it up. Alex Marquez had been the fastest rider in dry conditions throughout the weekend, then delivered the speed and consistency needed to deny any sustained response once he was in front. He finished in 40 minutes 48.861 seconds and won by 1.903 seconds.
Marc Marquez crashes out of contention
The expected battle between the Marquez brothers ended soon after Alex went ahead. Marc Marquez lost the front of his factory Ducati at Turn 11 and crashed out, ending his bid to convert pole position into a Sunday win.
That crash reshaped the race. Marc had won Saturday’s dramatic flag-to-flag Sprint despite falling before changing bikes, but he could not produce a similar recovery in the grand prix. His retirement took away one of Alex Marquez’s main threats and promoted Bezzecchi to the role of nearest challenger.
It was also a punishing afternoon for the Ducati Lenovo Team, which recorded a double retirement.
Gresini’s result offered a sharp contrast, as its Ducati became the manufacturer’s first bike to win a grand prix in 2026. For Alex Marquez, however, the key moment was the pass before his brother’s fall. His move at Turn 6 had already secured the track position on merit and confirmed the dry-weather edge he had displayed throughout the event.
Bezzecchi’s streak ends as Di Giannantonio takes third
Marco Bezzecchi finished second for Aprilia, bringing his run of five consecutive grand prix victories to an end. He became the closest challenger after Marc Marquez exited but could not erase Alex Marquez’s advantage, finishing 1.903 seconds behind the winner.
Second place extended Bezzecchi’s strong run of form. Aprilia’s winning streak ended at Jerez, yet the manufacturer stayed near the front throughout the race and secured another major result after its impressive start to the campaign.
Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the podium for Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, 5.796 seconds behind Marquez.
He had worked his way through the leading group after Jorge Martin charged from 10th on the grid to third in the opening phase. Di Giannantonio entered the podium fight and took the position from Martin. Marquez and Bezzecchi had built a clear cushion by the finish, but Di Giannantonio’s third place put two Ducati riders on the podium despite the factory team’s double retirement.
A repeat victory with added significance
The win came exactly one year after Alex Marquez earned his maiden MotoGP victory at the same venue. Jerez has now hosted two defining wins in his premier-class career, both with Gresini and Ducati machinery.
The result also carried extra importance for Marquez and Ducati. He had struggled to contend at the front during the opening flyaway rounds, then delivered a firm response in Spain. Starting fifth was no barrier. His opening lap moved him into the lead group, and the pass on lap two provided the foundation for victory.
For Ducati, the win ended a wait of almost six months dating back to the Malaysian Grand Prix and broke Aprilia’s hold on 2026 grand prix victories.
The split inside the Ducati camp was clear, with Gresini celebrating while both factory entries failed to finish. Marquez’s dry pace across the weekend proved decisive. He did not depend on changing weather or late attrition, instead passing the early leaders and preserving his advantage through consistent speed.
MotoGP heads to France
The championship travels next from Spain to the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, scheduled for May 8-10. Jerez produced a new winner in the 2026 campaign and ended the run that had established Aprilia as the benchmark across the previous five grands prix.
Bezzecchi heads to France with another podium, and Di Giannantonio takes momentum from finishing third.
Marc Marquez and the Ducati factory squad must respond after a costly double retirement. Alex Marquez leaves Jerez one year after his breakthrough win, having returned to the same circuit, taken the lead within the opening two laps and delivered a commanding home victory for Gresini and Ducati.
