Misano MotoGP LIVE: Reaction after Marc Marquez wins San Marino Sprint

Live updates from the qualifying session at the 2026 Misano MotoGP on the Rimini coast. Qualifying is due to start at 10:50 local time, with the Sprint coming up this afternoon at 15:00.

Key Moments

• Marquez wins sixth sprint of 2026
• Bezzecchi second
• Martin's championship lead shrinks

Marco Bezzecchi came into Saturday at Misano off the back of setting the fastest time of Friday in Practice, and backed that up in qualifying this morning, breaking the lap record to take pole. Despite the championship context, the Italian sitting third in the standings ahead of this weekend's races, Bezzecchi said afterwards that there is no point in comparing himself at the moment to his title rivals.

One such rival is Marc Marquez, who sits second in the standings and who was second to Bezzecchi in qualifying this morning. Marquez has won here six times, but said yesterday that he is "struggling a bit" at the moment on the Misano layout.

Championship leader Jorge Martin won at Misano in 2023, and qualified fifth this morning, an improvement on his 10th in Practice. He said on pace he felt better than over one lap, where the soft-compound rear tyre changes the balance of the bike in a way he doesn't like.

Raul Fernandez also struggled on the timesheets aboard the Aprilia on Friday, but he said the problem was himself, not the bike, as he was using the wrong line through the first sector. There was not the kind of improvement Martin showed in terms of position, but Fernandez was able to come through Q1 to qualify on the fourth row.

Pedro Acosta was one of two KTMs in the top-10 yesterday, the other being Pol Espargaro in ninth. Acosta was pleased enough with his performance and said afterwards that his "plan is working" in relation to a more aggressive approach to bike setup, and was also one of the riders credited by Espargaro for his ninth-placed finish in Practice. Qualifying was comparatively underwhelming for Acosta, the Spaniard ending up only seventh.

Francesco Bagnaia struggled significantly yesterday, bemoaning the same issues that have plagued him all season, predominantly a lack of grip that means he can't effectively stop the bike on corner entry. There were signs of progress in FP2 this morning, but he was only fourth in Q1, and will therefore start 14th today, after a disastrous second run that saw him abort all four attempts at timed laps.

Bagnaia was not the only Ducati rider to under-perform in qualifying, as two Q2 crashes for Alex Marquez left him only ninth on the grid.

Franco Morbidelli received a long lap penalty after Practice for riding dangerously. It will apply only to tomorrow's grand prix, and not today's Sprint.