Marquez wins at Brno as Bezzecchi misses Czech MotoGP
Marc Marquez passed Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia late at Brno and moved to 140 points in the MotoGP standings, Reuters reported.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Marc Marquez won the Czech MotoGP on Sunday at Autodrom Brno, giving Ducati a victory that tightened the upper reaches of the riders’ standings while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi served a suspension. Reuters reported that the seven-time MotoGP champion passed teammate Francesco Bagnaia on lap 16 and pulled away in the final laps.
Marquez started fourth and spent much of the race tracking Bagnaia, who had won Saturday’s sprint. Once Marquez made his move, Bagnaia could not answer, and the race shifted behind the leader.
Trackhouse Racing’s Ai Ogura, who had started from pole, overtook Bagnaia on lap 18 while the Italian was trying to close back in on Marquez. Ogura finished second, 0.421 seconds behind the winner, according to Reuters.
Bagnaia completed the podium in third. Reuters reported that VR46 Racing Team rider Fabio Di Giannantonio put him under pressure late, while KTM’s Pedro Acosta retired on the final lap because of a bike problem.
Back-to-back wins for Marquez
The Brno result gave Marquez consecutive Grand Prix wins after his victory in Hungary earlier in June. Reuters described the closing phase as controlled, with Marquez extending his advantage after taking the lead from Bagnaia.
The win also continued Marquez’s recovery after a slow start to the 2026 MotoGP season. Reuters reported that he now has 140 points, leaving him 40 behind Bezzecchi in the riders’ championship.
Bagnaia had been chasing his first double victory of the season after winning the sprint a day earlier. His third-place finish still kept Ducati on the podium with two factory riders, while Ogura’s second place gave Trackhouse Racing a strong result from pole position.
Bezzecchi suspension affects title race
Bezzecchi did not take part in Sunday’s race after being suspended over an altercation with a marshal following a crash during Saturday’s sprint, Reuters reported. His absence opened the door for rivals to reduce the points deficit.
Reuters reported that Bezzecchi’s Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin cut the gap in the riders’ standings to eight points. Bezzecchi leads with 180 points, while Martin has 172.
Marquez remains further back in the championship, but the Brno win moved him closer to the leader and added to his recent run of form. The victory came on a weekend when Bezzecchi scored no Sunday race points and Bagnaia was unable to convert early control into a Grand Prix win.
The Czech round left the top of the standings compressed, with Bezzecchi still ahead, Martin close behind and Marquez gaining ground after two straight Grand Prix victories, according to Reuters.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.