MotoGP thunders Stateside for Round 3. After four wins on the bounce for Bezzecchi we arrive into true Marquez territory. So can the #72 defeat the king of COTA?
Two down, 20 to go and we head north to the USA from Brazil to tackle the rollercoaster of COTA. From the shortest circuit on the calendar to the longest, from South America to North America, the contrasts bring new challenges and perhaps a new order. Last year’s dramatic Grand Prix in the history books and with another on the horizon, a showdown in Texas awaits the most exciting sport on Earth. MotoGP: wired different. Austin: keeping it weird. A combination that will bring us shocks, surprises and more throughout this year’s Grand Prix.
BEZZECCHI VS MARC MARQUEZ: the battle we’ve waited for set for COTA?
With Marco Bezzecchi’s (Aprilia Racing) dominant start to the year seeing him take the Championship lead after the opening two Grands Prix, and after winning the last two of last year, he’s looking to lay down the law at COTA. Marc Marquez’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) track record speaks for itself with seven wins but a blunder in last year’s rain means there’s revenge to be served. Those two stories combined, do we have another showdown this weekend between the Championship leader and the reigning World Champion, the latter fifth in the standings? Misano, Balaton Park, Brno and Red Bull Ring and Assen, they’ve gone toe-to-toe. Will it be a last lap battle this time?
APRILIA ON TOP: historic start for the Noale factory
It’s an Aprilia Racing 1-2 in the standings after a Goiania double podium and first Grand Prix rostrum since his title-winning Solidarity GP weekend in 2024 for Jorge Martin, who moves into second overall. He’ll have to hit the ground running at COTA, given that he didn’t race there last year. From Championship leader pre-Brazil to P3 overall after, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is just 14 points behind ‘Bez’ and rode a smart Grand Prix at Goiania to bag valuable points – and he’s shown some good speed at COTA. Meanwhile, a first podium of 2026 after holding off Marc Marquez was secured last weekend by Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) sees him as the top Ducati and the Italian now heads to COTA where he was third 12 months ago – and he’ll be racing with that stunning new livery revealed in New York on Tuesday.
EARLY REVELATIONS: Ogura sits sixth to lead established names
Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) has finished every Grand Prix or Sprint in the top five and gears up for the team’s home round. Teammate Raul Fernandez and he’s had bigger highs and lower lows, with a P3 in Thailand but a P10 last week in Brazil. Then comes 2025’s COTA podium finisher and World Championship runner-up Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), still finding his feet with the GP26 whereas both Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) aim to cast tricky Brazilian GPs aside stateside. Another revelation, particularly in qualifying at Goiania, was 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) when he started fourth – will he repeat it this weekend and fight for the V4-powered Yamaha’s first top ten in a Grand Prix having secured sixth in Goiania’s Sprint?
CHASING THE TOP 10: those aiming to strike in COTA
Top Honda honours at Goiania went to Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and he sits as top Honda in the standings too, one point ahead of Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) who is in 12th whilst his teammate Joan Mir is in 19th, with bad luck and crashes not reflecting the 2020 World Champion’s true pace. After Marini, double MotoGP Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who hasn’t enjoyed the start to the season he hoped for after testing. Yet to finish a Grand Prix or Sprint in the top 7, last year’s COTA winner hopes that this weekend provides a turning point. Two points further back is Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who returned last weekend and was straight into the top ten.
INDIVIDUAL ASPIRATIONS: points and progress on the agenda
Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) put on a show for his massive home audience in Goiania to bring home points for the second Grand Prix in a row but he now eyes a Sunday top ten, whilst Red Bull KTM Tech 3 pairing Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales seek improvements, the latter hoping for his first points of 2026 – and he’s a former COTA winner. There’s also the three V4 Yamahas of Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and his rookie teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu, all of which showed flashes in Brazil. Rins brought home points for the second time in 2026 whilst Razgatlioglu chases his first in MotoGP.
It’s time to ride rodeo in Texas and after 2025’s thriller, who will be the sole star in the Lone Star state in 2026? Bezzecchi vs Marquez might be about to light up…
