20:14
It's been a shocking start for Marco Bezzecchi, who has dropped from second to seventh.
Jorge Martin, 2026 US MotoGP Sprint.
© Gold and Goose
2026 US MotoGP sprint reaction LIVE: Jorge Martin takes shock Aprilia victory
Live coverage of qualifying and the sprint at the 2026 MotoGP US Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Jorge Martin takes a shock victory, then falls on the slow-down lap!
- Marco Bezzecchi crashes out of a late second place.
- Marc Marquez takes down Fabio di Giannantonio on lap 1 of the Sprint.
- Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini given two-place grid drop for Sunday's grand prix
- Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed pole position for the US MotoGP
The 2026 MotoGP United States Grand Prix continues on Saturday 28 March with qualifying and the sprint race at the Circuit of the Americas.
The third round of the 2026 MotoGP season sees the championship return to COTA, having come to the track every year since 2013 except 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.
Reigning world champion Marc Marquez has the most wins of anyone at COTA with seven, and led Friday's practice times despite suffering a huge 190km/h crash at Turn 10 in FP1.
Read more: Why his usual US MotoGP walkover will be harder for Marc Marquez in 2026
The factory Ducati rider was lucky to walk away with just some bruising after the fast crash, which he later said was a result of him attacking the track too aggressively without considering the change in surface from last year.
But Marquez looked much more like the rider we've come to expect on Friday at COTA and heads into Saturday's action chasing a first pole of 2026 and a second sprint win.
Aprilia remained strong on Friday, though it was Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura who led the way for the brand as Marquez's nearest challenger.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was fourth overall after Friday's running, admitting he wasn't fully comfortable on his RS-GP.
But his dominant run in both grands prix so far makes him a big threat during Saturday's action at COTA, with Bezzecchi looking to reverse his lacklustre sprint fortunes thus far in 2026.
Friday's action at COTA was overshadowed by a raft of crashes in Practice, though cooler conditions are expected for Saturday's qualifying, following blistering temperatures in PR.
The grid will be without its full compliment of 22 riders, after Tech3 KTM's Maverick Vinales withdrew ahead of Practice due to the left shoulder he injured in a crash in Germany last year.
A screw fitted to secure the injury has worked its way loose, with Vinales facing an operation in the coming days to correct this, taking advantage of the long break between COTA and the Spanish Grand Prix due to Qatar being postponed as a result of the Iran war.
2026 US MotoGP Saturday schedule
Qualifying - 3:50pm GMT
Sprint (10 laps) - 8:10pm GMT
28 Mar 2026
20:14
The factory Ducatis make a brilliant start. Bagnaia leads from fourth on the grid and Marc Marquez is third.
20:10
The formation lap for the sprint is underway at COTA.
20:06
Jorge Martin has made a late change to swap a soft rear tyre for a medium rear.
20:04
We're just over five minutes away from the start of the COTA sprint, which is ten laps long.
19:48
Sprint delayed by ten minutes
The 2026 US MotoGP sprint will now get underway at 20:10pm UK time after a red flag in Moto2 qualifying resulted in the slight delay.
19:22
19:21
Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi to drop 2 places
Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi have been given two-place grid penalties for Sunday's United States Grand Prix.
Both riders have been penalised for riding slowly on the racing line.
18:52
Bezzecchi "didn't see" Marc Marquez
Bezzecchi spoke after qualifying about the incident with Marquez which nearly resulted in the Ducati rider slamming into the back of him.
But the championship leader says he "didn't see" Marquez.
Find out more here.
Marco Bezzecchi, 2026 US MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
18:13
Still no update on the qualifying investigations concerning Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez.
17:51
Marc Marquez fumes at Marco Bezzecchi during Q2
17:47
This is the incident between Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini
17:29
Bezzecchi “didn’t see” Marc Marquez
Qualifying reaction from parc ferme...
Diggia celebrates “full heart” MotoGP pole, Bezzecchi “didn’t see” Marc Marquez
Fabio di Giannantonio, Marco Bezzecchi, Pedro Acosta, qualifying, 2026 US MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
17:29
Di Giannantonio reflects on COTA pole position
Fabio Di Giannantonio has called his pole position at COTA "the most amazing lap of my life".
17:06
2026 US MotoGP qualifying report
Find out how Fabio Di Giannantonio made it back-to-back poles for the first time in his MotoGP career here.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, 2026 US MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
16:53
US MotoGP: Full Qualifying Results
2026 US MotoGP, COTA - Full Qualifying Results
Fabio di Giannantonio, 2026 US MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
16:34
Di Giannantonio grabs pole for the US MotoGP
Di Giannantonio makes it back-to-back MotoGP pole positions, after getting the better of Bezzecchi.
The top 12 was:
- Di Giannantonio
- Bezzecchi
- Acosta
- Bagnaia
- Mir
- Marc Marquez
- Martin
- Alex Marquez
- Marini
- Aldeguer
- Ogura
- Bastianini
16:32
That's it for Marc Marquez, the nine-time world champion will not be on pole.
He has also been moved down to sixth place as team-mate Bagnaia goes fourth behind Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi and Acosta.
16:29
Di Giannantonio moves into provisional pole ahead of Marco Bezzecchi.
16:28
Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio are both challenging for pole.
16:27
Bagnaia has been held up by Ogura and has aborted his lap.
16:26
The final runs have begun and Bagnaia is in contention to regain provisional pole.
16:22
Joan Mir goes top!!
This is sensational stuff from 2020 world champion Joan Mir.
Mir has just gone quickest by over two tenths of a second.
His lap has sent the Honda garage into early celebrations already.
16:20
Bagnaia sends a message to his rivals
Wow! Bagnaia has set a new all-time lap record on just his first lap of Q2.
16:16
After their crashes in FP2, Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez only have one bike available for this session.