Marc Marquez wins Czech MotoGP at Brno to close on Bezzecchi

Marc Marquez won Sunday’s Czech MotoGP at Autodrom Brno, sealing back-to-back victories and cutting into 2026 championship leader Marco Bezzecchi’s advantage. The Ducati rider started fourth on the grid and made his decisive pass on teammate Francesco Bagnaia on lap 16. Marquez then controlled the closing stages to take the chequered flag.

Bagnaia, who had been chasing his first double victory of the season after winning Saturday’s sprint, led for long stretches but could not respond once Marquez went through. On lap 18, pole-sitter Ai Ogura of Trackhouse Racing overtook Bagnaia to move into second. Ogura finished 0.421 seconds behind the winner.

Bagnaia held on for third despite late pressure from VR46 Racing Team’s Fabio Di Giannantonio. KTM’s Pedro Acosta retired with a bike problem on the final lap, ending his chances of scoring points.

The race took place without Bezzecchi after he was suspended from Sunday’s grand prix following an altercation with a marshal after a crash in Saturday’s sprint.

Standings shift as Bezzecchi sits out

With the championship leader sidelined, Aprilia’s Jorge Martin used the opening to reduce Bezzecchi’s advantage to eight points in the riders’ standings. Bezzecchi remains top on 180 points, with Martin on 172.

Marquez’s win lifted him to 140 points, leaving him 40 points off the lead after a slow start to the season. The Brno victory followed his win in Hungary earlier this month, confirming a strong run of form going into the next stretch of races.

What to watch after Brno

Bezzecchi’s return will reset the title fight, but the points swing in Brno underlined how quickly the order can change when a front-runner is absent. The series now moves on with multiple riders still in range at the top of the championship.