Marc Márquez won the MotoGP sprint race at Motorland Aragón on Saturday after pulling off a decisive first-corner overtake on pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi.
The Spanish rider finished ahead of his younger brother Álex Márquez to take his third consecutive sprint victory at the circuit near Alcañiz.
Sprint race battle at Motorland Aragón
Márquez launched his attack as soon as the start lights went out, passing Bezzecchi into turn one to take early control of the race. He maintained his lead throughout the short event to keep an undefeated record in sprint races at the venue.
The win represented Márquez's 20th career sprint victory, putting him one win ahead of championship leader Jorge Martín at the top of the all-time Saturday standings.
Bezzecchi had displayed superior speed earlier in the weekend by recording the fastest lap times in both Friday practice and Saturday morning qualifying. However, the Italian rider struggled with rear grip after fitting a soft rear tyre, eventually dropping to third behind Álex Márquez.
Álex Márquez secured second place for Gresini Racing without coming under threat from behind or mounting a challenge against his older brother. The result matched his double runner-up finish from both the sprint and main Grand Prix at Motorland Aragón last year.
Rider reactions and championship standings
Speaking after the race, Marc Márquez said he knew Bezzecchi was competing on the soft rear tyre, which made an immediate pass at the first corner his primary plan. He added that making a strong start was crucial to establishing a consistent pace, and noted that his focus for Sunday's main race would be to make small setup adjustments while maintaining similar consistency.
Championship leader Jorge Martín finished fifth after struggling to find comfort on his bike throughout the weekend. Martín engaged in a close battle with Pedro Acosta, who elevated his performance during the race after a quiet Friday practice session.
Circuit background and event format
Sprint races were introduced to MotoGP to deliver short-format competitive racing on Saturdays prior to the main Grand Prix on Sunday. Motorland Aragón, located near Alcañiz in north-eastern Spain, is a 5.078-kilometre circuit featuring 17 turns that has been a regular fixture on the motorcycle Grand Prix calendar since 2010.
