Jorge Martin Wins COTA Sprint as Marc Marquez Battles to Second

The Aprilia rider edged the reigning champion in a close finish at the Circuit of the Americas.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 3:49pm

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Jorge Martin won the MotoGP sprint race at the Circuit of the Americas, holding off a late charge from reigning champion Marc Marquez. Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium in third, while Marco Bezzecchi finished fourth after recovering from an earlier crash in practice.

Why it matters

This race was a key test for the top riders in the MotoGP championship, with title leader Bezzecchi looking to extend his winning streak to five races. While he couldn't win at COTA, the Aprilia factory rider remains atop the standings.

The details

Martin led from pole position, with Marquez mounting a fierce charge in the closing laps but unable to catch the Aprilia rider. There was drama throughout practice, with multiple crashes involving Ai Ogura, Alex Marquez, and Bezzecchi, who damaged his leathers in a front-end fall.

  • The MotoGP sprint race took place on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

The players

Jorge Martin

The Aprilia RS-GP26 rider who won the MotoGP sprint race at COTA.

Marc Marquez

The reigning MotoGP champion who finished second in the sprint race, riding a Ducati Lenovo GP26.

Francesco Bagnaia

The Ducati rider who finished third in the COTA sprint race.

Marco Bezzecchi

The Aprilia factory rider who finished fourth after recovering from an earlier crash in practice. He remains the championship leader despite failing to extend his winning streak to five races.

Maverick Viñales

The rider who withdrew from the entire COTA event after FP1 due to a worsening shoulder injury from last year's German Grand Prix.

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What they’re saying

“I knew Marc was coming, but I was able to hold him off. It was a great battle and I'm happy to take the win here at COTA.”

— Jorge Martin, Race Winner

“I gave it everything I had, but Jorge just had the edge today. Congratulations to him on a well-deserved victory.”

— Marc Marquez, Second Place Finisher

What’s next

The full MotoGP race at the Circuit of the Americas will take place on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

The takeaway

This close sprint race between two of MotoGP's top riders, Martin and Marquez, sets the stage for an exciting main event on Sunday. Despite Bezzecchi's failure to extend his winning streak, the championship battle remains tight at the top.