The three riders one former MotoGP winner thinks can fight for 2026 title

Aleix Espargaro has picked out the three riders he thinks can “really fight” for the 2026 MotoGP title in the second half of the season.

Aprilia dominated the first part of the year, with victories in four of the first five races, but in more recent rounds Marco Bezzecchi has fallen away through a number of mistakes following misfortune at Balaton Park, while Marc Marquez has won three of the last four grands prix and moved from over 100 points off the championship lead to within 20 points.

It remains Aprilia at the top with Jorge Martin, whose sole 2026 victory came in France at round five, but HRC test rider and former race winner for Aprilia Aleix Espargaro is sure that reigning champion Marquez is the strongest rival to the 2024 champion, rather than one of Martin’s fellow Aprilia riders.

“Despite the bad Dutch Grand Prix, he [Marc Marquez] is still very close to the lead,” said Espargaro, speaking to the Spanish online newspaper Libertad Digital at an event hosted by the Lidl-Trek cycling team during the Catalunya stages that took place early in this year’s Tour de France and ahead of the German Grand Prix, which Marquez won and Martin finished fifth.

“For me Jorge Martín's great rival for the world championship is still Marc Márquez.”

Espargaro also mentioned a third name, and a second Aprilia rider, he thinks can challenge this year.

“If I had to add a third name, it would be Ogura,” Espargaro said, referencing the Japanese rider who won for the first time in MotoGP at Assen and was second to Marquez at both Brno and the Sachsenring.

“I think they are the ones who can really fight for the championship.”

Espargaro himself has had a year complicated by injury after he crashed and fractured vertebrae at Sepang during a private HRC test at the Malaysian track in April. The three-time MotoGP winner is keen to get back on the bike, though.

“I'm recovering from the injury,” he said.

“I really want to have surgery again to remove the irons and plates and be able to get back on the bike as soon as possible.”