MARCO BEZZECHI WINS IN INDONESIA AS MARTIN TAKES MOTOGP LEAD

Bezzecchi’s win, the 300th victory for an Italian in MotoGP, also kept his faint championship ​hopes alive.

Aprilia Racing rider Marco Bezzecchi celebrates on the podium after winning the MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Circuit [Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP]

Marco Bezzecchi has stormed to victory in the Indonesian Grand Prix while Jorge Martin finished third to reclaim the overall season lead in the MotoGP world championship.

The Italian Bezzecchi, riding an Aprilia, made his move on pole-sitter Raul Fernandez in the final third of a captivating Grand Prix at a sweltering Mandalika International Circuit on Sunday.

Spain’s Fernandez came home second and compatriot Martin third, also on Aprilia bikes.

Ducati’s reigning seven-time world champion Marc Marquez finished sixth.

That meant Martin retook the lead in the championship from Marquez by two points, with five more race weekends remaining.

Martin leads with 355 points, with Marquez on his tail on 353.

Bezzecchi is still alive in the championship title hunt, in third position with 309 points.

“It’s amazing, I’m very, very happy,” said Bezzecchi, who last won a race in May. “It was a nice battle with Raul and I think me and all my team deserve a result like this. They have been through tough times with me.”

‘I did the maximum’

Martin, who will head to Australia in a fortnight with the most slender of leads, said he had done all he could.

“I did the maximum,” said Martin, who started alongside title rival Marquez on the second row of the grid.

“I did my best. At the start I lost a lot of positions but tried to be calm and was overtaking riders step by step.

“We are still in the fight and still in the lead,” he added.

Aprilia Racing’s world championship leader Jorge Martin came third in Sunday’s Indonesian GP [Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP]

Fernandez, having to improvise to brake after fracturing two fingers in Saturday’s sprint, got away cleanly from his first-ever pole.

He and Bezzecchi, who started alongside him on the grid, had clashed and crashed out in the sprint.

The sprint was won by Marquez to grab the championship lead for the first time from compatriot Martin.

After a third of the 27 laps in the Grand Prix, Fernandez kept the fellow Aprilia of Bezzecchi at bay despite his injury.

Former world champion Martin was running third, with Marquez looming in fifth without ever really threatening.

Fernandez, who had two previous victories, kept his cool under tremendous pressure from Bezzecchi until lap 19, when the Italian made his move to grasp the lead.

Aprilia Racing rider Marco Bezzecchi in action in Indonesia [Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP]

Bezzecchi streaked away from there to win by 4.26 seconds as Fernandez gamely hung on for second.

- AFP

MOTORGP: TECH3 KTM CONFIRM LUCA MARINI SIGNING FOR 2027 SEASON

 

Luca Marini will swap red for orange in MotoGP next season

Luca Marini will join Tech3 KTM for the 2027 MotoGP season after spending the last three years with Honda.

The Italian has played an integral role in Honda’s MotoGP project since he joined them in 2024, proving to be a valuable asset on the technical development of the RC213V, whilst being a trustworthy, consistent rider on the track.

Marini takes the spot vacated by Enea Bastianini, who confirmed earlier this week that he would be racing for Trackhouse Aprilia next year alongside Raul Fernandez.

Luca Marini onboard the Honda RC213V during the 2026 MotoGP season

“Luca is a rider we have been watching closely, and we are very pleased to welcome him to Tech3 from 2027,” team CEO Guenther Steiner said. “He brings a huge amount of experience, but also the right mentality and approach for what we are building here.

“2027 will be a big reset for MotoGP, so having a rider who can contribute to our progress in this new era will be important.”

2027 will be Marini’s seventh season in the premier class. The 29-year-old spent the first half of his MotoGP career with Ducati power, first via an Esponsorama Ducati partnership with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team, and then as a full VR46 Ducati rider once Rossi’s team made the move to the premier class on a full-scale basis.

Marini celebrated his maiden podium at the Circuit of the Americas in 2023, before going on to secure Sprint podiums later that year in Indonesia and Thailand. Marini also broke the lap record in Indonesia to take his first pole.

More success followed in 2023 when Marini secured pole position in Qatar and followed this up with a Sprint and GP podium at the Lusail International Circuit.

Advice from The Doctor and brother, Valentino Rossi for Luca Marini

Given his success in 2023, it came as a surprise to many that Marini chose to depart not only Ducati, but his brother’s team in favour of the struggling factory Honda team.

Whilst there have been no podiums during his time with HRC, Marini’s results have continued to improve as the bike becomes more competitive.

“We are very happy to have Luca joining us from 2027,” Tech3 KTM team manager, Nicolas Goyon said. “He has already shown his ability to perform at the highest level, and his experience in MotoGP will be extremely valuable as we enter this new chapter.

“He has a strong understanding of what is required from both the rider and technical side, and we are confident that he will be an important part of our progress with KTM. We are looking forward to working with him and seeing what we can achieve together.”

Marini is expected to be joined inside the Tech3 KTM garage by current Moto2 frontrunner Senna Agius.

- Josh Close

RAUL FERNANDEZ WINS BRITISH MOTOGP AS MARTIN EXTENDS TITLE LEAD

Trackhouse rider claims his first Grand Prix victory of season while Jorge Martin increases his championship advantage to 31 points

Raul Fernandez won the British MotoGP on Sunday after recovering from a crash in Saturday's Sprint, while Jorge Martin finished second to extend his lead in the championship standings.

This was Fernandez's first Grand Prix win of the season and the second of his MotoGP career after his triumph at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.

The Trackhouse rider started second but took the lead at the opening corner before controlling the 20-lap race to finish about 2.5 seconds ahead of Martin.

Pole-sitter Martin dropped to fourth at the start because of a technical problem but recovered by overtaking Marc Marquez and Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi to finish second.

Bezzecchi completed the podium in third after holding off Alex Marquez in the closing stages.

The Italian, who returned to competition after recovering from injuries sustained at the German Grand Prix, climbed to second in the championship standings.

Martin collected 20 points to increase his total to 240, while Bezzecchi earned 16 points to move to 209, leaving the Spaniard with a 31-point championship lead.

Ai Ogura, who started third on the grid and entered the race second in the standings with 203 points, crashed out around the halfway stage and dropped to third in the championship.

Despite climbing from sixth to third at the start, reigning champion Marc Marquez slipped to seventh, collecting nine points to remain fourth in the standings with 200.

Fabio Di Giannantonio finished sixth to earn 10 points and remained fifth in the championship with 199.

British MotoGP race results

Raul Fernandez

Jorge Martin

Marco Bezzecchi

Alex Marquez

Pedro Acosta

Fabio Di Giannantonio

Marc Marquez

Brad Binder

Luca Marini

Diogo Moreira

Franco Morbidelli

Fabio Quartararo

Jack Miller

Pol Espargaro

Toprak Razgatlioglu

Augusto Fernandez

Did not finish: Ai Ogura, Francesco Bagnaia, Cal Crutchlow, Iker Lecuona, Enea Bastianini, Alex Rins and Joan Mir

- Halis Sunnetci

ALEX MARQUEZ LEADS MARCO BEZZECCHI IN SILVERSTONE MOTOGP FP1

Alex Marquez kicked off the British Grand Prix fastest of all in FP1

Alex Marquez led the way in FP1 at Silverstone
© Gold and Goose

Gresini Ducati MotoGP rider Alex Marquez was fastest of all by 0.173s in opening practice for the MotoGP British Grand Prix ahead of the returning Marco Bezzecchi.

The first round after the summer break takes place at Silverstone, which has seen 11 different winners in the last 11 editions of the British Grand Prix.

Alex Marquez will be looking to add his name to that list this weekend, having taken a sprint victory previously at the former RAF airbase.

Alex Marquez, 2026 Silverstone MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose

He got his weekend off to the best start on the Gresini Ducati, posting a 1m58.692s to lead the field by 0.173s.

The younger Marquez brother headed the leading Aprilia of Marco Bezzecchi, who is making his comeback following a collarbone injury in Germany ahead of the summer break.

Last year’s British Grand Prix winner completed 13 laps on his RS-GP and was faster than KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who was the only crasher in FP1.

Bezzecchi set the early pace at the start of the 45-minute FP1 at 2m01.807s, before Aprilia counterpart Raul Fernandez - fresh from signing a new two-year deal with Trackhouse - took over with a 1m59.807s.

Alex Marquez hit the front for the first time with just under 10 minutes of the session gone with a 1m59.436s, before Jorge Martin edged ahead on the sister factory team Aprilia with a 1m59.372s.

Gresini’s Marquez would post his session-topping 1m58.692s lap with around 30 minutes to go, and would not be challenged through to the chequered flag.

Bezzecchi moved up to second, while Acosta fitted some fresh rubber to move up to third with a 1m58.974s after a crash at Stowe with 20 minutes remaining.

Fernandez was fourth on the Trackhouse Aprilia, while Fabio Di Giannantonio was fifth on the VR46 Ducati.

Marc Marquez was sixth on the factory team Ducati, while Ai Ogura was only seventh on the Trackhouse Aprilia despite a switch to fresh medium rubber late on.

A FAST crash for @37_pedroacosta at Stowe 🫢#BritishGP 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/ylxm1Ui2hp

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 7, 2026

Championship leader Martin was eighth on a 1m59.372s, while Franco Morbidelli was ninth on the second of the VR46 Ducatis.

Pecco Bagnaia completed the top 10 on the second of the factory team Ducatis.

Joan Mir was Honda’s leading campaigner in 11th, while Fabio Quartararo led the Yamaha charge in 15th.

Gresini stand-in Iker Lecuona was 16th, while Pol Espargaro was 21st for Tech3 as he stands in for Pol Espargaro.

Home hero Cal Crutchlow was 22nd on the LCR Honda.

- Lewis Duncan