Pecco Bagnaia wins tense Brno MotoGP sprint, Marco Bezzecchi crashes
Pecco Bagnaia took his first sprint win of the 2026 MotoGP season at Brno
Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia won a tense sprint at the MotoGP Czech Grand Prix ahead of polesitter Ai Ogura, as championship leader Marco Bezzecchi crashed out.
Much of the grid opted for the medium rear tyre for the 10-lap sprint at Brno in baking conditions, though the factory Ducati pair of Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez went for the soft.
Bagnaia used that early grip advantage to seize the holeshot from third on the grid and led every lap to victory, albeit under intense pressure from Trackhouse Aprilia’s Ai Ogura.
It marks his first victory on a Saturday since last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi never factored in the podium battle, but was on course to extend his championship lead over team-mate Jorge Martin.
However, he crashed out of fifth late on, which has seen his points lead cut down to 15 by Martin, while Marc Marquez is now 65 back after finishing third.
Ogura wasn’t able to convert a first MotoGP pole to the holeshot at the start of the sprint, with Bagnaia leaping ahead of him, while LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira moved into third.
Moreira’s podium hopes were dashed at Turn 12 when he fell on the opening lap, with Tech3 KTM’s Maverick Vinales having an identical spill behind him.
Bagnaia used his soft rear tyre to put a second between himself and Ogura in the early laps, though that gap would start to come down.
Marquez was promoted to third after Moreira’s crash, with the reigning champion steadily putting distance between himself and VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio in fourth.
The leading trio would eventually close up come the final laps, but Bagnaia ensured there was no way through for Ogura.
The Italian led by 0.241s at the chequered flag, with Ogura celebrating a first sprint podium in MotoGP.
Marquez’s challenge for second never materialised in the end, with the Ducati rider 0.553s behind in third.
Di Giannantonio was fourth on the VR46 Ducati ahead of Martin, who came from 10th on the grid.
Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez was sixth from Tech3 KTM’s Enea Bastianini, Gresini Ducati’s Fermin Aldeguer and KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder.
LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow crashed out on the final lap, with Honda stablemate Luca Marini also falling in the latter stages.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta crashed out of sixth on lap six.
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