Marc Marquez won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna, in Brazil. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on Michelin control tires, the defending World Champion won the 15-lap race by 0.213 second.

Poleman, Fabio Di Giannantonio was the runner-up on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Jorge Martin finished third on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 and his teammate, Marco Bezzecchi got fourth.

Ai Ogura crossed the finish line fifth on his Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.

Pedro Acosta leads the championship with 33 points, 2 ahead of Marco Bezzecchi who has 31 points. Jorge Martin is third with 25 points.

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Marc Marquez defeats Diggia, Martin on the podium in stunning first Sprint in Brazil. Elbows out, headlines made – it was worth the wait as MotoGP went racing for the first time in Goiania.

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) vs Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) went to the wire in the Tissot Sprint in Brazil, with the duo split by just two tenths over the line after a cat-and-mouse showdown and a tense final lap. Completing the Sprint podium it was an emotional afternoon for Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) as the 2024 World Champion got back on the box for the first time since Sepang in 2024, impressing once again as he comes out swinging on his return to full fitness.

Diggia took the holeshot after a solid start from pole, and it was a stunning start from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the Frenchman moved up into third and then quickly attacked Marc Marquez for second. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) lost out down to fourth, and further back there was drama for the returning Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) off the line as his machine slid before launching and those behind streamed past. But it was a clean start as the freight train settled in for battle.

Up ahead though, Diggia in the lead had just over half a second in hand as they started Lap 3, with Marc Marquez then attacking Quartararo back before Turn 1 to reclaim second. The Frenchman was then slightly wide, allowing Bezzecchi to pick his pocket, before Martin did the same next time down the straight as Lap 4 began.

Meanwhile at the front, Diggia was 1.2 seconds clear. Marc Marquez was second, Bezzecchi third and Martin fourth, but the #72 was then deep through Turns 10 and 11 – allowing his #89-livered teammate through into third.

Meanwhile, Quartararo was stealing more of the limelight just behind – holding off Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) brutally but cleanly. The #20 was digging in, and so was Marc Marquez as he started to reel in Di Giannantonio in the lead.

By Lap 10 of 15, Ogura was past Quartararo and Marc Marquez was half a second off the lead. Action was hotting up slightly further back too as Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) attacked Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) for P8. He got past, Pecco returned the favour, and then the #63 started homing in on Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in seventh.

By three to go though, Marc Marquez was in striking distance at the front – so he did. Alongside out of Turn 12 and then past, the #93 took the lead, but he retained very close company from the rider in yellow. It then looked like Marc Marquez had built a few tenths up to try and protect the gap but onto the last lap, the #49 was closing and closing.

Diggia looked for a way through at Turn 6 and found none, instead forced to stay glued to the back of the red machine ahead. But Marc Marquez kept it pitch perfect – right until the final corner where he suffered a twitch – and nothing was enough to stop him claiming that first Sprint win of the season. The #93 takes the gold on Saturday for his 16th Sprint win – putting him equal with Martin as the riders who have the most Sprint victories since the format was introduced.

Speaking of Martin, the #89 made a stunning return to the podium. Slipping past teammate Bezzecchi after the #72 headed slightly wide, Martin then knuckled down and kept it clean to the flag – getting back on the rostrum for the first time since his 2024 Malaysian Grand Prix Sprint win. It was an emotional cool down lap after a rollercoaster since his Championship win. It’s also his first podium with Aprilia Racing.

Bezzechi took fourth and maintains second in the standings, now two points adrift of Acosta after the #37 came home ninth in the Sprint in Brazil. Ogura took fifth place for another impressive show of form from the sophomore, with an even more titanic performance just on his tail: Quartararo. The Frenchman grabbed his qualifying springboard as a huge opportunity and held onto sixth place to underline his elbows-out start to the Sprint.

Alex Marquez took P7 just ahead of Bagnaia, with Acosta taking that final point. Just outside the points but inside the top ten, Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) takes tenth after a stunning home performance from the rookie. For full results from the Sprint in Brazil click HERE.

After that first encounter, we can’t wait for more – so get ready for more MotoGP on Sunday as action returns in Goiania!