Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1546567
ROUND 14 / SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2026 MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT MARCO SIMONCELLI ROAD RACE I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP P80 MotoGP Sprint The grid was deliciously crafted after Bezzecchi posted the first-ever sub-90-second lap of Misano to take pole. Marquez— the only rider able to live with his Friday pace—was second, with Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) third. Like the previous round, so much importance was placed on the first corner. And like the previous round, Marquez outmuscled the Italian into turn one, establishing an early lead and never looking back. Tire choice had also come into play, with the leading Ducati gambling on Michelin's medium The scrap on the Adriatic Coast was always going to be a bellwether for the months ahead. With Aprilia and Ducati relatively closely matched, it would offer further insight into the rejuvenated Marco Bezzecchi's (Aprilia Racing) credentials, as well as Marquez's strength around physical, clockwise layouts. Little wonder Marquez spoke of feeling "free" and "convinced" of his new working methods after. As his rivals' challenges come apart, it's hard to foresee anything other than Marquez retaining his crown in just under three months' time. 63 FRANCESCO BAGNAIA 13TH/DNF MOTOGP "I'm really sorry for the crash, because my crew is working really hard to put me in the position to do well," Bagnaia said on Sunday. "There are still eight events left and I hope we'll be able to change the momentum of the season. I'm pushing hard, especially during the race, but unfortunately the lack of feeling leads to mistakes any time I try something different. It's a difficult situation to digest, but we need to face the reality of things and continue—despite everything—to do our best. I hope things will be a little better in Austria." 07 TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU 17TH/12TH MOTOGP "The positive is that my pace was very strong, especially after the halfway point," Razgatlioglu said on Sunday. "I did a 1:31.7, my best lap of the weekend, and caught up with Fabio's lap time. I was already on the limit, but our pace was very similar, which is a big positive. I finished 12th, but I believe my pace was closer to seventh or eighth." MYOWNRACE Marquez (93) beat Bezzecchi (72) to the first corner in the Sprint and that was all she wrote.

