Aprilia’s Martin extends championship lead with British GP sprint win
FILE PHOTO: MotoGP – German Grand Prix – Sachsenring, Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany – July 12, 2026 Aprilia Racing’s Jorge Martin in action during the MotoGP race REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
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Aug 8 : Jorge Martin led from start to finish to win the British Grand Prix sprint at Silverstone on Saturday, extending his MotoGP championship lead as the Italian manufacturer locked out the podium in dominant fashion.
The Spaniard converted pole position into a commanding 10-lap sprint win, with Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura finishing second and Martin’s team mate Marco Bezzecchi completing an all-Aprilia podium in third.
Martin’s victory moved him to 220 points in the championship standings, opening up a 17-point gap over second-placed Ogura while Bezzecchi leapfrogged Marc Marquez to move up to third, 27 points behind.
Marquez’s title aspirations suffered a significant blow as the Ducati rider slumped from sixth on the grid to ninth at the chequered flag after suffering from tyre wear. He now sits 29 points behind Martin ahead of Sunday’s race.
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“A lot of work during summer, finally, all the work we did was worth it. So I’m really, really happy. Today, what can I say? Incredible job,” Martin said.
The polesitter, who smashed the lap record in qualifying, made a perfect getaway but had to manage his resources carefully as tyre degradation became a significant factor.
“I tried to be as fast as possible, trying to manage. At the end, I had no rear tyre (grip),” he added. “So I thought Ai would catch me, but I was able to manage the distance and another sprint victory is always amazing.”
Ducati riders had won the last three sprints at Silverstone but the best they could manage was Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez finishing fourth, while VR46 Racing rider Fabio Di Giannantonio was fifth.
While Martin controlled proceedings at the front, the drama unfolded behind as Marquez made contact with Bezzecchi at the start before recovering to move up to fourth.
MARQUEZ SUFFERS WITH GRIP
However, the Aprilias’ superior corner speed soon proved decisive, with Bezzecchi overtaking the reigning champion on lap five and pulling clear.
Marquez’s afternoon went from bad to worse as tyre wear hampered his pace, allowing his brother Alex to move past him before KTM’s Pedro Acosta, Joan Mir and Franco Morbidelli also found their way through.
The reigning world champion barely held on to ninth place as Diogo Moreira closed in during the final moments, with Ducati mechanics immediately examining his rear tyre upon his return to the pits.
But the day belonged to Aprilia and, while Martin was elated, an emotional Bezzecchi was in tears after securing a podium on his return from collarbone surgery, with the Italian still not fully fit and riding through pain.
“It was a tough period, as you probably can imagine. So it was very important to come back and enjoy on the bike. We did a very good job,” Bezzecchi said.
“It’s difficult for me to say what I’m feeling right now. But I want to say just a massive thanks to all the team and all the people that stayed close to me. They worked hard with me.”
Source: Reuters
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