Jorge Martin (in the back) won the sprint in Austin. © ANSA / DUSTIN SAFRANEK

First a sprint victory, then the great shock.

Jorge Martin won the sprint at the US Grand Prix in Austin on Saturday.

March 28, 2026

From: apa

The Spaniard, riding his Aprilia, made a risky maneuver on the final lap to overtake Italy's Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) and hold onto his lead to the finish. His victory celebrations on the motorcycle backfired; after a wheelie, the 28-year-old crashed, sliding across the track, but appears to have escaped unharmed.

Crashes also marred the race. World Champion Marc Marquez collided with Fabio Di Giannantonio in one of the first corners. Di Giannantonio was forced to retire, while Marquez finished 17th, at the back of the standings. Marco Bezzecchi also slid off the track on his way to second place without any outside interference. For the Italian, the sprint once again didn't go as planned, a stark contrast to his record in the main races, of which he has won the last four across seasons.

For Martin, this is already the 17th sprint victory of his career, making him the number one. He now also holds this position in the MotoGP overall standings – for the first time since 2024. With 57 points, he has one more than his closest rival, Bezzecchi. "I'm so happy. I've missed racing here, this victory means a lot to me," said Martin. Third place went to Spaniard Pedro Acosta (KTM), but he could potentially lose this position, especially since he still faces a penalty. Fourth was Enea Bastianini (ITA/KTM-Tech3). The main race for the win takes place on Sunday (10:00 PM).