MotoGP™: Record-breaker Bezzecchi claims COTA crown with Sunday stunner

Martin makes it an Aprilia 1-2 in Austin, Acosta joins the Noale duo on the podium as Marc Marquez claims P5 following his Long Lap penalty

Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) just can’t stop breaking records. The #72 has won an incredible fifth Grand Prix in a row, only the third Italian rider ever to do it, and has won the first three GPs of a season for the first time since Marc Marquez did it in 2014. It was also an Aprilia 1-2 for the second time in succession as Jorge Martin followed up Tissot Sprint Gold with a Sunday podium, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking third.

Acosta got an almighty launch off the front row for the holeshot, with Bezzecchi also steaming forwards to take over in second. Even more so Martin as he shot up into third. Early drama then saw Acosta deep into Turn 11, with Bezzecchi cutting up the inside on the tighter line. On the exit the two were side-by-side and the two bashed fairings – with a piece of Aprilia breaking off and flying off behind them. Bez retained the lead following that, with Acosta recovering quickly despite the bash and Martin hovering third too.

Behind, it was all heating up in the group. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) vs Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) first, with the yellow machine ahead, before Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was then also able to pick his way past the #93 – followed swiftly by Honda HRC Castrol’s Joan Mir.

By then, it was new record time: crossing the line ahead for each lap until the start of Lap 4, Bezzecchi has officially led more consecutive Grand Prix laps than anyone else in the modern era. The previous record was 103 held by Jorge Lorenzo in 2015, Lap 4 in COTA made it 104 for Bezzecchi.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez was out of the heat of battle and into the Long Lap area. The #93 had the penalty for his incident with Di Giannantonio in the Sprint, and he completed that with no drama. Then Mir was given a Long Lap for a shortcut taken when in the heat of that battle for fourth, but the #36 crashed out not long after.

Meanwhile at the front, Martin had made one luge on Acosta for second and been denied, and a couple of laps later had a huge moment at Turn 1. He saved it but dropped back into the clutches of Diggia, with Bagnaia also homing in on the back of the #49.

At half race distance, it was Bez leading Acosta by around a second, with Martin, Diggia and Bagnaia close behind. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) had attacked Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) for sixth, with Sprint podium finisher Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) on their tail. Marc Marquez was down in P9 after his Long Lap, not making many inroads into the #23 ahead.

Ogura and Bastianini were the riders on the move. Ogura was homing in on Bagnaia and Bastianini on Alex Marquez. By Lap 12, the American Flag-liveried Trackhouse machine of Ogura was past Bagnaia in brutal but clean style. Next target: Diggia. The Japanese rider sliced up the inside at Turn 12, another brutal but clean move.

Just after that, Acosta had a moment at Turn 1 – wide or looking for a bike to follow for tyre pressure? Martin was able to just sweep past the KTM, making it an Aprilia 1-2, with Ogura on the march too.

Meanwhile in the fight for sixth, the Bagnaia – Bastianini – Alex Marquez – Marc Marquez quartet was heating up, and drama hit for Ogura. As Marc Marquez elbowed past Alex Marquez and then past Bastianini to tag onto the back of Bagnaia, Ogura was slowing and pulling over out of the group’s way – a technical issue putting paid to his incredible charge.

Bagnaia vs Marc Marquez was then game on for fifth – but not according to Bastianiani. The #23 attacked Marquez first instead of took sixth. The #93 responded. Bastianini wasn’t done, sending it at the end of the back straight. Marquez got him on the cutback. It settled briefly before Marquez attacked Bagnaia, and Bastianini barreled straight through to follow the #93.

Meanwhile at the front, Bezzecchi was just about keeping enough in hand over Martin, and onto the last lap he eked it out to cross the line 1.7 seconds clear. He extended that lap-leading run to an even bigger record of 121 and becomes only the third Italian rider ever to win five in a row after Hall of Famers Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini. He’s also the first rider to win the first three GPs of the season since Marc Marquez did it in 2014.

Martin makes it an Aprilia 1-2, the first time the factory has achieved that twice in a row, and only just loses that Championship lead gained with his Sprint Gold medal. Acosta held on to third place for a podium on Sunday to add a trophy to replace the medal lost on Saturday.

Diggia takes fourth, in an ultimately lonely ride to the flag but comes home as top Ducati. Marc Marquez did hold on to fifth ahead of Bastianini – just – with Alex Marquez taking P7. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP team) slots into eighth, with he and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) getting past Bagnaia late on.

After a dramatic weekend in Texas, the grid now has time to recharge and reload for Jerez. The Spanish GP is in a few weeks, so come back for more as MotoGP heads over to Europe for another classic race weekend – with Aprilia very much in control in the title fight.

Check out FULL RESULTS HERE. After a dramatic weekend in Texas, the grid now has time to recharge and reload for Jerez. The Spanish GP is in a few weeks, so come back for more as MotoGP heads over to Europe for another classic race weekend – with Aprilia very much in control in the title fight.

Agius holds off Vietti for Moto2 honours in Texas

Having had a difficult opening couple of rounds, Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) put in a determined ride to take a third career victory in Moto2. The #81 resisted a late charge from Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team), with the #13 taking a first podium of the season whilst the rostrum was completed by Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2).

The holeshot honours went to Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) but all eyes were behind as a collision at Turn 1 ended Championship leader Daniel Holgado’s (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) and Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) Grand Prix. However, there was then a big incident at Turn 11 on the opening lap involving Filip Salac (OnlyFans American Racing Team), Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – GALFER – MSI), David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Sergio Garcia (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) and Alberto Ferrandez (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), bringing out the red flag. Piqueras and Ferrandez headed off for medical checks as the rest returned for the 10-lap restart.

Ahead of the restart, a raft of contenders were handed Long Lap Penalties – Holgado for causing a crash at Turn 1 whilst Muñoz and Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing) for unsafe changes of direction from the original start. Elsewhere, Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed on the sighting lap but did start. On the restart itself, Lopez grabbed the holeshot before Baltus came through on him at Turn 13 but still had to serve his Long Lap Penalty. Behind, Agius made his move to get into P2 ahead of Lopez before pouncing on leader Baltus on Lap 3 into Turn 12.

Onto Lap 4, Vietti was on the charge and having dispatched of Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), he got ahead of Lopez at Turn 1, the Spaniard now dropping back. On Lap 5, Baltus briefly took the lead back at Turn 12 on Agius but then came into serve his LLP, slotting back into P7 and just ahead of Alonso, with the Colombian soon getting ahead of the Belgian before he also got ahead of Lopez and was now sitting in fifth with four to go. A lap later at Turn 1, the #80 got into fourth, a stunning comeback from 17th on the grid.

Meanwhile, Vietti took over at the front on the run down the 1.2km back straight, only for Agius to attempt to respond at Turn 19 but he was unable to make it stick. Two laps to go, the gloves had come off as Agius pulled a bold move to hit the front going into Turn 3 and then the Australian pulled the pin to start the final lap of the Grand Prix. Despite a mega final lap from Vietti, it was Agius who took an emotional third career victory ahead of the Italian, whilst Guevara put in a cracking performance to bag a second podium of 2026 in P3.

17th to fourth, a fine Sunday for Alonso whilst Gonzalez was a solid fifth, enough to assume the Championship lead. After his Long Lap Penalty, Baltus was sixth ahead of Lopez whilst Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) fended off home-hero Roberts for eighth, with the #16 restarting to get his best result of the season whilst it was Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Now we head for Jerez and one of the biggest fan fiesta of the season - join us there and find full results from Moto2 here!

Pini pockets last corner win in Moto3 COTA classic 

Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) is a Moto3 Grand Prix winner! The Italian came out on top in final corner fisticuffs at COTA, claiming victory by just 0.056. Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) took second, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the podium after his final corner attack on Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) saw both head wide and lose out on a 1-2.

Carpe took the holeshot from pole ahead of Perrone, with Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) losing out off the start as Quiles went full send into Turn 1 and grabbed third. The two orange machines were streaking away in the lead early doors, but Quiles got the hammer down to tag back on, with the Leopard Racing duo of Pini and Adrian Fernandez next up the road.

After it had been a seven-rider fight early doors, Joel Esteban (LEVELUP – MTA) and Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) were out of that with 10 to go as Pratama crashed out and Esteban couldn’t avoid the bike. Both riders were ok but the group was down to five before Fernandez started to fade, leaving four riders fighting for three places on the podium.
By three to go, the gloves started to come off. Pini attacked Quiles at Turn 11 and got the lead momentarily before being denied and then tried again at Turn 12 – this time hooking it up and keeping it. With that shuffle at the front, Carpe was right back in it and the four-rider fight really started to heat up.

Onto the last lap, Perrone led Pini, but Carpe slotted into second early doors. Pini then lost out to Quiles at Turn 11, with the long back straight seeing everyone absolutely pinned – but it was Carpe who led out of 12. Then Perrone attacked at 13, Carpe repaid him through 17-18, Perrone was back through in style at Turn 19 and Carpe took it back again a corner later. But it all went down to the final corner.

Carpe went for the win and sliced up the inside, with Perrone pushed out wide and the #83 only just keeping it on track too. The door was open for the duo behind them, and neither Pini nor Quiles needed a second invitation. In their drag race to the line, Pini took it by 0.056, with Quiles second and Carpe holding on to third. Perrone, after a stunning race, was forced to settle for fourth.

Fernandez took fifth, with a huge fight behind going to the wire too. Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power) took P6 right at the line as rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got bumped aside at the finish line, allowing fellow rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to just steal P7 too. Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA) took ninth ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), with compatriot Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – Mlav Racing) just missing out on the top ten but taking his best Moto3 finish yet. Front row starter O’Gorman crashed out from that group.

Check out full results here. Now we wait for the Spanish GP with a few weekends off - chance for the field to recharge and come back out swinging on turf that's much more familiar for many. Will the order shuffle again? Join us in Jerez to find out!