Jorge Martin could decide Bezzecchi vs Marquez title battle
Photo by Stephen Blackberry/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Marco Bezzecchi’s brilliant start to the 2026 season has underlined his status as Marc Marquez’s main title rival, as the Aprilia rider continues to impress in the early stages of the championship. Marquez came into 2026 chasing history, with a chance to match Giacomo Agostini’s record of eight premier class titles. After switching to Ducati in 2025, he claimed his seventh crown – his first since 2019 – drawing level with Valentino Rossi.
However, Marquez finished last year on the sidelines after surgery on a shoulder injury sustained in Indonesia when he was taken out by Bezzecchi. The recovery carried over into this season and has continued to affect him in 2026. The shoulder still doesn’t look fully healed either, and Marquez has shown visible discomfort at times this year.
Combine that with Ducati’s acknowledgment that the GP26 isn’t currently the best bike on the grid, and it’s clear why he hasn’t consistently challenged Bezzecchi yet this season. How Jorge Martin’s 2024 title run can inspire Marco Bezzecchi’s 2026 title push Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images Bezzecchi currently holds a narrow lead over his Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin heading into the break in the 2026 MotoGP season, following the postponement of the Qatar Grand Prix. Marquez, meanwhile, finds himself back in fifth place, already trailing by 36 points after just three rounds.
Even though Bezzecchi has now set a new record with 121 consecutive Grand Prix laps led and has matched Marquez’s feat from 2014 by winning the first three races of a season, it hasn’t been a flawless start for the 27-year-old. The biggest issue facing Bezzecchi is his habit of crashing out during Sprint Races. He went down while leading in Buriram and again while running second at COTA.
In Thailand, he was trying to extend his advantage when he crashed, and in America, he fell chasing down first place. If Bezzecchi wants to stop Marquez from taking another title this year, those Sprint errors need to be sorted out. He doesn’t have to look far for proof – just back at how Jorge Martin claimed the crown over Francesco Bagnaia in 2024 despite Bagnaia winning more Grands Prix that year.
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