Marc Marquez wins Australian MotoGP sprint as Jorge Martin crashes out
Marquez moved 10 points clear in the championship at Phillip Island. Martin was taken to the medical centre after a high-speed crash.
Marc Marquez won the Australian Grand Prix sprint at Phillip Island on Saturday, 24 October 2026, taking a 10-point lead in the MotoGP championship after rival Jorge Martin crashed out. Martin was taken to the circuit medical centre for evaluation after the fall.
Marquez started from pole and moved to 365 championship points, according to Reuters. The two title rivals had been separated by just two points before the 13-lap sprint, Crash.net reported. Martin, the 2024 champion, did not finish, turning their close contest into a change at the top of the standings.
How the Phillip Island sprint unfolded
GPblog reported that Martin started fourth but reached second on the opening lap, then passed Marquez on lap two. The race began on a dry track after wet qualifying sessions, Reuters reported. The riders fought over the lead before Martin crashed at the fast Turn 8 right-hander on the eighth lap, according to Crash.net. Reuters also placed the crash on lap eight.
Marshals carried Martin away on a stretcher. Aprilia said he had been taken to the medical centre for evaluation, Reuters reported. His diagnosis and fitness for Sunday's race were not immediately clear.
Marquez won by 0.323 seconds over his brother Alex, who rides for Gresini, according to Crash.net. Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 finished third, Reuters reported. Crash.net counted the result as Marquez's ninth sprint victory of the year; Marco Bezzecchi finished fourth after recovering from outside the points early in the race.
Marquez on the title battle
‘It was a title battle. Of course I gave everything,’ Marquez said after the race, according to Reuters. He said Martin had been faster and that he had tried to defend as well as he could. Both riders had been pushing at the limit, he said, while urging calm because the season was still long.
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Sources and context
- Marquez wins thrilling Australian MotoGP sprint to retake championship leadReuters, carried by CNA
- Marc Marquez wins Australia MotoGP sprint thriller as Jorge Martin has huge crashCrash.net
- Marc Marquez takes control of MotoGP title race after rival's horror crashGPblog
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.