MotoGP Grand Prix of San Marino Sprint – Marc Marquez charges to Saturday honours after a stunning display ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin

Ducati's Marc Marquez was victorious once again at Misano, defeating Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi after a stunning duel on Saturday. It was incredible pace from the top two, pushing each other to the limit as Marquez grabbed the win and an extra 12 points.

Jorge Martin (Aprilia) claimed the final podium spot after a stunning move on Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Pertamina) as Martin finished a further two seconds adrift, beating Di Giannantonio and BK8 Gresini's Alex Marquez, who rounded out the top five.

Pedro Acosta (KTM) earned sixth after a dramatic day of running, whilst Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse) and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini) rounded out the top eight spots. Luca Marini took the final point-scoring position, earning top Honda honours too.

There was drama further back as well, with Fabio Quartararo crashing in the early laps, crossing the line P21 on Saturday afternoon as the Frenchman and Yamaha continued to search for the next step.

Next up: Sunday’s San Marino GP. Join us for more on TNT Sports at 13:00 tomorrow.

Hear from Neil Hodgson as he looks back at Marc Marquez's decisive overtake and the move which handed the No. 93 glory.

After leading from start to finish, Marc Marquez ends Saturday with the maximum points scored and another gold medal to his collection. It was another important day in the title race, with Sunday still to come.

Marc Marquez said: "Immediately when I started, the plan was to lead the race, as I was using the medium tyre and Bezzecchi was using the soft. The first laps, like in Aragon, were dangerous, but I tried to push, and I saw I was able to open a gap.

 "I then tried to relax and saw that Marco was coming back, so I attacked the final laps because the pace was there. I just tried to manage the risk, so I'm happy with this victory, but the most important race is tomorrow."

A busy race and incredible pace. Polesitter Marco Bezzecchi wasn’t able to convert pole position into victory on Saturday but still heads into Sunday with plenty of positives.

Bezzecchi added: "I am very, very happy; my best result in a Sprint, and finally better than third, so it’s a big result. I am very happy because I got pole position and then a podium in the Sprint, so it’s fantastic for me after a very good job from the team.

"We are ready for tomorrow!"

A rock-solid ride but still some room for improvement: Jorge Martin reflects on his Sprint performance after finishing third on Saturday.

Martin said: "It was a difficult race, an overall difficult weekend, but we are improving every run. Starting further back in fifth was difficult, and with the medium I was struggling to overtake Fabio, who was using the soft, so it was difficult to find a place to overtake him – I didn’t want to risk a lot.

"I am really happy with the job of my team, but I am happy to do it in the Misano, and I hope tomorrow we can improve a bit."

Let's take a look at the start after what was a key move from Marc Marquez.

What a ride. What a race. Stunning for Marc Marquez as he claims Sprint glory in Aprilia’s back garden. His winning margin sits at just over one second at the chequered flag, with Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin joining the No. 93 on the podium this time around.

We’re already on the final lap of action at Misano, with Marc Marquez charging to another Saturday glory. It’s going to be another 12 points if the No. 93 can reach the chequered flag at the end of this lap.

Marc Marquez has smashed the fastest lap at the end of Lap 11! The reigning champion has just set a 1:30.734, going quicker than the race lap record, which was set back in 2024. This incredible pace is stretching the gap at the front towards one second once more.

Has Bezzecchi got anything left?

The battle for the lead is down to just half a second, setting up a true grandstand finish at Misano. Marc Marquez is trying to respond, setting the fastest Sector 1 of anyone on Lap 10 before Bezzecchi responds in Sector 3. Just like in 2025, the pair are pushing each other to the absolute limit.

Marco Bezzecchi has closed the gap for the first time this race, reducing the gap to 0.7s this time around. The Italian isn’t done yet, remaining within the 1:30 bracket as Marc Marquez drops to the 1:31s.

Jorge Martin has now attacked Fabio Di Giannantonio, pushing the Italian back to fourth position. It was a brave move from the 2024 world champion, pushing his way through. The fighting has allowed Alex Marquez to get back into the mix, sitting P5 and glued to the exhaust pipe of DiGi.

The gap at the front is now over one second for the first time this race, and it’s beginning to look like a statement ride from the reigning world champion. He’s now set a 1:30.763, building momentum for the final seven laps…

Marc Marquez is continuing to turn up the wick at the front, clocking the fastest lap and becoming the first rider within the 1:30 bracket. The race isn’t done yet, with Marco Bezzecchi remaining within one second of his rival.

Jorge Martin is beginning to look for a move too, wanting another Sprint podium to his name – this time at Misano. The championship leader needs big points this weekend as Marquez and Bezzecchi slowly close the gap in the title race.

Acosta and Aldeguer are beginning to spice things up too, trading places, moves and paintwork as they fight for P6 in the Sprint. The fighting has brought Raul Fernandez and Luca Marini into the mix.

Further back, Fabio Quartararo has gone down, adding another blow to a disappointing weekend.

There’s already a slight gap forming for the front two, with DiGi unable to keep the early pace. We’ve got an interesting battle in terms of tyres too, with Marc Marquez opting for the medium rear tyre this afternoon. The crowd are already on their feet as the fastest lap begins to change hands.

We are Sprint racing! It’s the perfect start for Marc Marquez, who steals P1 from Marco Bezzecchi at Turn 1. Bezzecchi remains in second, with Fermin Aldeguer also getting his elbows out with Martin and DiGi. Aldeguer was pushed down to P5, with Pedro Acosta soon finding a way through, dropping him to P6. 

It’s a dream start for Marc Marquez, leading the Sprint after the opening lap of action at Misano.

It’s time; all talking stops now as we head out on our warm-up lap here at Misano. The sun is out, track temperature continues to rise, and now Marco Bezzecchi is moments away from leading the field from pole position. The real question remains… Who will lead after Turn 1?

FIVE-MINUTE WARNING 

Not long to go now! If you want to pop on the kettle or grab one final snack, now is your chance. We’ve got a short and snappy Sprint coming up, and remember, there are 12 points up for grabs this afternoon.

Before we go racing, check out how the front four rows of the grid look following an intriguing qualifying session earlier on!

1. Marco Bezzecchi (Pole)

2. Marc Marquez

3. Fermin Aldeguer

4. Fabio Di Giannantonio

5. Jorge Martin

6. Luca Marini

7. Pedro Acosta

8. Franco Morbidelli

9. Alex Marquez

10. Raul Fernandez

11. Johann Zarco

12. Pol Espargaro