MOTO GP

MotoGP: Marc Márquez wins Aragon GP sprint

Marc Márquez won the MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix Sprint this Saturday (29) at the MotorLand Aragón circuit in Spain. The Ducati rider dominated the race and crossed the finish line ahead of his brother, Álex Márquez, while Marco Bezzecchi rounded out the podium.

Marco Bezzecchi got a good start from pole position, but Marc Márquez forced his way into the first corner and overtook the Italian, with Álex Márquez seizing the opportunity to pass his brother. Raúl Fernández and Jorge Martín followed close behind. Further back, Luca Marini crashed out.

The battle between Fernández and Martín played into Pedro Acosta's hands; he overtook both of them to take fourth place. Behind them, Diogo Moreira passed Fabio Di Giannantonio to catch up to Fernández, whom he managed to overtake after Di Giannantonio crashed on the second lap.

On the third lap, Martín attempted to pass Acosta and succeeded on his second try, further extending the gap to the leading trio, where Marc Márquez was gradually gaining tenths of a second on Álex and Bezzecchi. Further back, Fabio Quartararo retired from the race with smoke pouring from his Yamaha.

Martín tried to overtake Bezzecchi but made a mistake, allowing Acosta to pass him back. Speaking of riders from Murcia, Fermín Aldeguer was also picking up pace; after shaking off Johann Zarco, he overtook Raúl Fernández on the penultimate lap and snatched sixth place from Diogo Moreira on the final lap.

At the front, Marc Márquez maintained a lead of about a second over Álex Márquez to claim the victory, while Marco Bezzecchi held off Pedro Acosta to secure the final podium spot. Jorge Martín finished fifth in "no man's land," with Fermín Aldeguer in sixth, ahead of Diogo Moreira, Raúl Fernández, and Johann Zarco.

The intense heat in Aragon added a crucial element to this Saturday's (29) Sprint race. With ambient temperatures exceeding 29ºC and track temperatures topping 50ºC, tire wear became a decisive factor, particularly given the split choices between soft and medium compounds.

Marco Bezzecchi got off to a good start and initially held his position, but Marc Márquez didn't waste his first opportunity. The Ducati rider attacked at Turn 1, took the lead, and saw Álex Márquez move up to second place. The Márquez brothers controlled the pace from the opening laps, successfully holding off Bezzecchi, who had opted for soft tires.

Further back, Luca Marini was the first rider to retire after crashing. On the second lap, Diogo Moreira maintained his strong start, overtaking Fabio Di Giannantonio to move into seventh place. Pedro Acosta also started strongly, gaining two spots to reach fourth and attempting to keep pace with the leading trio.

Di Giannantonio, however, did not stay in the fight for long. He crashed at Turn 16 and retired from the race, while Moreira continued to use the early laps to pressure his rivals. The Brazilian confidently overtook Raúl Fernández to move up to sixth place.

At the front, Jorge Martín began to pick up pace on the third lap and joined the battle for fourth place. Running on soft tires, the Spaniard managed to overtake Pedro Acosta, who was using the medium compound. From that point on, tire strategy played an increasingly significant role in the riders' performance.

Marc Márquez, meanwhile, was turning his status as favorite into outright dominance. The Ducati rider opened a gap of around 0.4 seconds over Álex Márquez and steadily extended his lead.

In the following group, Martín had to manage pressure from Acosta to hold onto fifth place, but the duel ended on the sixth lap. A mistake by Martín allowed Acosta to reclaim the position and subsequently pull away. Shortly after, Fabio Quartararo retired due to a mechanical issue with his Yamaha.

While the action unfolded at the front, Moreira held a secure sixth place. The Brazilian began chasing Martín but also had to start managing tire wear on his LCR Honda, which was running the soft compound.

From the seventh lap onwards, tire wear became evident among riders who had chosen the softer compound. By the end of the ninth lap, the top positions had largely stabilized, though Raúl Fernández was gradually closing the gap to Moreira.

The battle for eighth place also intensified, with Fermín Aldeguer and Johann Zarco swapping positions. However, the Gresini rider would still play a significant role in the fight for sixth place.

With three laps remaining, Fernández stepped up the pressure on Moreira. The Brazilian's tire wear made it easier for the Spaniard to close in, while Aldeguer showed even better pace and began to join the fray.

On the penultimate lap, Moreira had to defend sixth place right at the limit. Fernández and Aldeguer caught up to the LCR Honda rider, forming a three-way battle for the position. In Sector 3, Aldeguer managed to overtake Fernández, becoming Moreira's main rival.

At the front, Marc Márquez was running a completely different race. With a clear track ahead, the Spaniard controlled his lead unchallenged and took the checkered flag for another Sprint race victory. Álex Márquez finished second, while Bezzecchi rounded out the podium.

Pedro Acosta finished fourth, ahead of Jorge Martín. The real battle, however, was taking place a few seconds back, over sixth place. Moreira held his ground as long as possible on the final lap, but tire wear eventually took its toll; once again in Sector 3, Aldeguer found a gap and overtook the Brazilian, who crossed the finish line in seventh place.

How did the race unfold? Bezzecchi, who had secured pole position, got off to a good start and held the lead for the opening meters but was soon overtaken by Marc Márquez and, subsequently, by Álex Márquez. Diogo Moreira also made a strong start and gained positions, moving up to ninth place. Luca Marini crashed at Turn 7, triggering a yellow flag in that sector.

Mid-pack, there was an intense battle for fourth place between Pedro Acosta and Raúl Fernández. Acosta initially held the upper hand, but Raúl stayed close behind. Just behind them, Jorge Martín, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Diogo Moreira joined the fray. After some jostling within the group, Martín moved up to fifth, Raúl settled into sixth, and Moreira climbed to seventh, with Di Giannantonio right behind him.

On the third lap, Fabio Di Giannantonio crashed out of the race. Meanwhile, Diogo Moreira was running a strong race and moved into sixth place, closely tracking the battle ahead of him between Jorge Martín and Pedro Acosta for fourth; Martín nearly crashed, allowing Acosta to take the spot. Shortly after, Quartararo suffered bike trouble and retired from the race.

Fernández and Aldeguer battled for seventh place, while further ahead, Diogo Moreira tried to hold his position. However, near the finish line, Raúl Fernández overtook the Brazilian, who finished the race in seventh place(video below)

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