Márquez wins Phillip Island sprint, takes MotoGP lead as Martín breaks arm

Marc Márquez won the MotoGP sprint at the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and took a 10-point lead in the world championship after his title rival Jorge Martín crashed out while fighting him for the lead. Martín was taken to the circuit medical centre with a fractured right forearm and was declared unfit for Sunday's Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

The result

Márquez started from pole position, despite a crash in a wet qualifying session, and led away from the line. Martín, starting fourth, worked his way up to challenge him, and the two were nose to tail until lap 8, when Martín's Aprilia slid out at high speed at Turn 8, the Hayshed corner. He tumbled through the gravel and was taken away on a stretcher.

Márquez went on to win the 13-lap race in 19 minutes 9.411 seconds, ahead of his brother Álex and Fabio Di Giannantonio as Ducati swept the podium.

Pos	Rider	Team	Gap
1	Marc Márquez	Ducati Lenovo	19:09.411
2	Álex Márquez	Gresini Ducati	+0.323s
3	Fabio Di Giannantonio	VR46 Ducati	+0.590s
4	Marco Bezzecchi	Aprilia	+1.074s
5	Pedro Acosta	KTM	+3.689s
6	Brad Binder	KTM	+7.433s
7	Jack Miller	Pramac Yamaha	+7.782s
8	Diogo Moreira	LCR Honda	+10.722s
9	Iker Lecuona	Gresini Ducati	+10.773s

Ai Ogura crossed the line sixth but received an eight-second penalty for tyre pressure and dropped out of the points. Martín, Francesco Bagnaia, Maverick Viñales, Johann Zarco (gearbox problem) and Raúl Fernández did not finish. Bezzecchi recovered to fourth after dropping to 12th at the start.

Martín's injury

Medical checks found a fracture of Martín's right radius, the forearm bone near the wrist, with a suspected fracture of the ulna as well. He was declared unfit to race on Sunday, and his participation in later rounds will depend on further assessment. It is another painful blow for the Spaniard, whose earlier seasons have been disrupted by serious injuries.

Championship standings

Pos	Rider	Points	Gap
1	Marc Márquez	365	—
2	Jorge Martín	355	−10
3	Marco Bezzecchi	315	−50

Márquez arrived in Australia two points behind Martín after Aprilia's top-four sweep in Indonesia. The 12 points for the sprint win put him back in front, and with Martín out, he can stretch his lead by up to 25 more points on Sunday.

What they said

Márquez admitted his rival had been quicker. "It was a close battle. I was aggressive, and he was faster than me, but I tried to defend myself as best I could," he said. "We both deserved the win, but that's just how racing goes. Today, luck was on my side."

Why it matters

The title race had been decided by tiny margins all season, and one crash may now swing it. If Martín misses more rounds, Márquez and Ducati are in a strong position to take the championship. Bezzecchi, 50 points back, is still in the fight mathematically. It was also Márquez's ninth sprint win of the season and the 24th of his career, the most by any rider.

What happens next

Sunday's 27-lap Australian Grand Prix starts at 2pm local time (8am Pakistan time). It is the last MotoGP race at Phillip Island under the current deal, as the Australian round moves to an Adelaide street circuit from 2027. The series then heads to Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend, with Qatar, Portugal and Valencia still to come before the season ends.