Marc Marquez has admitted Marco Bezzecchi is “unstoppable right now” after the Italian swept to a fifth consecutive Grand Prix win at COTA. Bezzecchi has led every lap of all three races this season, a total of 69 laps from front to finish. Marquez sits fifth in the standings, already 36 points adrift of the Aprilia man. Ducati’s title defence is unravelling fast.
Three rounds in. Fabio Quartararo has finished 14th, 16th and 17th. All four Yamaha riders occupied the bottom four positions in Sunday’s race at COTA. And the man who won the 2021 MotoGP world championship on a Yamaha inline four is now saying things publicly that no manufacturer ever wants to hear from its lead rider.“The problem isn’t that I’m…
Fabio Quartararo admitted after COTA that Yamaha has no idea what they can do to fix the problems with the V4 M1, saying he is riding for the sake of riding with no feeling on the bike. All four Yamaha riders occupied the last four positions in the race, with Quartararo fading to 17th after suffering a sudden tyre drop off in the closing laps. No new engine until Le Mans at the earliest
The 2027 MotoGP season is 12 months away. The regulations change completely. Pirelli replace Michelin. The engines drop from 1000cc to 850cc. Every manufacturer starts from a different position on the development ladder. And right now, in the background of every race weekend, the most significant transfer story of the modern era is playing out in meeting rooms, paddock corridors…
Honda is planning to field six bikes in MotoGP from 2027, targeting a second satellite team alongside LCR to expand its presence at the start of the 850cc era. Gresini Racing is close to finalising a switch from Ducati back to Honda, a return to the partnership that ran from 1997 to 2014. The move would open a path to the grid for David Alonso and potentially Enea Bastianini. The 2027 grid is taking shape fast.
Jorge Martin admitted he misread the race situation at COTA, believing his best option was to sit behind Acosta and Bezzecchi in the early laps. He closed to within striking distance of Bezzecchi in the closing stages but his left arm gave out two laps from the flag, leaving him unable to brake hard enough at Turn 12 to complete the pass. Second place. Four points behind. Jerez is next.
Marc Marquez finished fifth at COTA and took full responsibility for his weekend, saying he is the one missing rather than the bike. He dropped to 11th after serving his long lap penalty, recovering through the field to beat Bastianini and Bagnaia in the closing laps. He acknowledged Aprilia’s superiority directly, saying the others are simply better right now. Three rounds in. No podium. No wins. Jerez is next.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was the top Ducati finisher for the fourth race running, taking fourth at COTA almost seven seconds behind Bezzecchi. Bagnaia faded from podium contender to tenth in the closing stages. Factory Marquez fifth. Factory Bagnaia tenth. Satellite Diggia fourth. The question of who leads the Ducati charge in 2026 has an answer nobody at the factory expected.
Toprak Razgatlioglu scored his first MotoGP championship point at COTA, finishing 15th. His Pramac team director Gino Borsoi noted he continues to make positive and consistent steps forward, saying being close to the top ten is a clear sign that progress is real and ongoing. Toprak himself identified Michelin tyres as his real problem, saying the bike side is improving but the tyre adaptation is where the work remains. One point. Real progress. More to come.
Marco Bezzecchi claimed his fifth consecutive Grand Prix victory at COTA, making a brilliant start from fourth and passing early leader Acosta on lap one. Contact with Acosta damaged his tail aero but he was never headed. He now holds the record for most consecutive laps led in MotoGP premier class history, surpassing Jorge Lorenzo. Five wins. Five rounds. One man. Aprilia have something very special in Marco Bezzecchi.