14:06
Contact between Aldeguer and Acosta at the first chicane and Alex Marquez passes the pair of them. Aldeguer ahead of Acosta briefly, but Acosta comes back at turn nine.
Really not worked out for Aldeguer, who then gets passed by Fernandez.
Marco Bezzecchi, 2026 MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
Misano MotoGP LIVE: Reaction after Marc Marquez wins San Marino Sprint
Live coverage of the Sprint race at the 2026 Misano MotoGP at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
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.
12 Sep 2026
14:05
Lap 2/13
Front four still within a second of each other, really the front group still goes back to Alex Marquez in seventh.
14:03
Di Giannantonio quickly up to third at turn four, Martin then through on Aldeguer as well, and Acosta passes his fellow Murcian at turn eight.
14:03
Sprint start
It's lights out in Misano for the Sprint, Marquez makes the holeshot from Bezzecchi, same as Aragon. Bezzecchi second ahead of Aldeguer, Di Giannantonio, Martin.
14:00
Warm-up lap
Warm-up lap is underway and final confirmation that Bezzecchi is on the soft rear tyre, Marquez on the medium.
Aldeguer also with the soft on the front row, as are Di Giannantonio and Marini on the second row. Martin on that medium rear in P5.
13:57
Makes sense for Martin, given his comments yesterday about how he feels better on the medium than the soft, that he prefers the balance with the medium rear.
13:56
Jorge Martin the latest rider to make the switch to the medium.
13:53
Marc Marquez now also on the medium-compound rear. Bezzecchi still on the soft, as are the rest of the front two rows.
13:50
Alex Marquez has also switched to the medium rear tyre.
13:47
Some more on medium rear now, namely both Pramacs: Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu.
13:47
Early tyre choices indicating everyone on medium-compound front and soft-compound rear tyres, with two exceptions on the rear.
Both Raul Fernandez and Johann Zarco currently with the medium-compound rear.
13:41
Sighting lap
Pit lane is open in Misano and the riders are heading out on their sighting lap ahead of the Sprint.
13:36
Moreira aero
There was a new rear wing for Diogo Moreira in FP2 this morning. Don't think he ran it in qualifying.
Diogo Moreira, 2026 MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold and Goose
13:34
Grid
Just a few minutes now before the pit lane opens for the sighting lap, so here's a quick look at the starting order for today's race - no penalties, so the same as the qualifying classification.
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | ESP | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati GP26 |
| 3 | Fermin Aldeguer | ESP | Gresini Racing | Ducati GP25 |
| 4 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina Enduro VR46 | Ducati GP26 |
| 5 | Jorge Martin | ESP | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 6 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda HRC Castrol | Honda RC213V |
| 7 | Pedro Acosta | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM RC16 |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina Enduro VR46 | Ducati GP25 |
| 9 | Alex Marquez | ESP | Gresini Racing | Ducati GP26 |
| 10 | Raul Fernandez | ESP | Trackhouse Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 11 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR | Honda RC213V |
| 12 | Pol Espargaro | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM RC16 |
| 13 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Energy Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| 14 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati GP26 |
| 15 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Pro Honda LCR | Honda RC213V |
| 16 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | KTM RC16 |
| 17 | Joan Mir | ESP | Honda HRC Castrol | Honda RC213V |
| 18 | Jack Miller | AUS | Prima Alpine Pramac Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| 19 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM RC16 |
| 20 | Alex Rins | ESP | Monster Energy Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| 21 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | Prima Alpine Pramac Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
13:22
Moto2 Q2 finish
There's the end of a fairly dramatic Moto2 Q2 session, it's Senna Agius who takes pole on a 1m33.718s, all of the top-three in the 1m33s. Alonso ends up 18th in the end, behind even Ferrandez.
MotoGP Sprint ow just under 40 minutes away.
13:19
Alonso and Ferrandez down together at turn 10.
Ferrandez high-sided and Alonso had nowhere to go. Alonso fuming because he knows he's going to be 17th at best (Ferrandez also doesn't have a lap time), but it's his own fault for not logging a legal banker on his first lap.
13:17
Marquez said "bye, pole" after seeing Bezzecchi lap
Funny interaction here after MotoGP qualifying earlier between Marquez and Bezzecchi, Marquez saying as soon as he saw Bezzecchi had done a 1m29s lap he knew he couldn't take pole. They'll line up side-by-side on the front row in about 45 minutes.
13:14
Second in the championship Guevara also without a lap time at the moment with six minutes to go.
13:13
Bit of drama in Moto2 Q2 as Alonso drops from third to last with his best lap cancelled for track limits.
Championship leader Gonzalez currently on provisional pole.
13:06
Sprint
Welcome back to live coverage of today's MotoGP action from Misano, where the Sprint will be getting underway in just under an hour at 15:00 local time.
Moto2 is just heading out now for their Q2 session.
12:03
MotoGP stewards deliver Johann Zarco verdict after Marco Bezzecchi incident
Johann Zarco has been handed a penalty for the San Marino Grand Prix.
MotoGP stewards deliver Johann Zarco verdict after Marco Bezzecchi incident
Johann Zarco, LCR Honda, 2026 San Marino MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
11:39
‘Riding a rental bike’ - Toprak Razgatlioglu details Misano MotoGP struggles
Toprak Razgatlioglu details his struggles riding his Yamaha at Misano.
‘Riding a rental bike’ - Toprak Razgatlioglu details Misano MotoGP struggles
Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pramac Yamaha, 2026 San Marino MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
10:47
Marco Bezzecchi beats Marc Marquez to Misano MotoGP pole
Marco Bezzecchi smashed the lap record at Misano to claim pole.
Marco Bezzecchi beats Marc Marquez to Misano MotoGP pole
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing, 2026 San Marino MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
10:45
Bezzecchi found himself behind Zarco at one point on his second run. Zarco held him up - not sure if Zarco was on a push lap or not, but he sat up out of the way at turn 10. Stewards are investigating. The decision will probably come down to whether Zarco was pushing and made a mistake or just cruising. Either way, Bezzecchi on pole.
10:34
Misano MotoGP: Qualifying Results
2026 Misano MotoGP - Full Qualifying Results
Marco Bezzecchi, 2026 Misano MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose