– Marc Marquez is back at the top of the overall standings in the MotoGP World Championship. With his fifth win of the season, which he achieved on Sunday at the San Marino Grand Prix in Misano, the defending champion has now taken the lead in the 2026 World Championship for the first time this season.
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This is remarkable considering that Marquez had to miss one and a half race weekends due to injury (the Grand Prix in Le Mans and the entire weekend in Barcelona). And even at the race weekends he fully participated in, he was not always at 100 percent fitness this season. After numerous operations on his right shoulder, Marquez’s new 100 percent is anyway lower than in previous years.
With his Instagram photo a few days ago, Marc Marquez caused a stir. At the Misano weekend, he once again gave the best answer on the track. Victory in the sprint on Saturday and victory in the Grand Prix on Sunday mean the ideal score of 37 points for him for the fourth time this season. He had previously achieved exactly that at Balaton Park, on the Sachsenring, and at MotorLand Aragon.
How Misano was “a different race” for Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez has delivered all four flawless race weekends in terms of results after his recent operation (May 10) and the break of one and a half race weekends. The consequence: He has now completely made up the 102-point deficit he had at one point to the World Championship lead. In the current 2026 MotoGP overall standings, the defending champion is tied on points with Jorge Martin at the top but is the official World Championship leader thanks to the higher number of season wins.
Marquez admits that he did not race with full risk to win the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday. After polesitter Marco Bezzecchi crashed while leading in turn 13 in the first lap, Marquez led most of the 27-lap distance. However, from the seventh to the eleventh lap, it was not him at the front but Jorge Martin.
“Jorge’s attack was a surprise. I did not expect that,” Marquez admits after his victory, referring to the overtaking maneuver of the former sole World Championship leader. The maneuver by Martin took place in turn 4 of the seventh lap. Five laps later, Marquez reclaimed the lead from Martin in turn 6 and did not give it up until the finish.
“The race was different this time,” says Marquez and explains: “In terms of timing and effort, I managed it perfectly. Sure, Marco’s [Bezzecchi] mistake was a big help. Because I believe he would have been really fast. He already pulled away from me in the first lap. Today I gave my maximum by trying to maintain a constant pace and only attack when I had to.”
While Jorge Martin was plagued by arm pump problems in the second half of the race and ultimately finished fifth, it was Alex Marquez who followed Marc Marquez to the finish line in second place. The Gresini rider also noticed that his older brother drove a different race at the front this time than usual.
“I think Marc did not drive in the best way today. After Bezzecchi’s crash, he certainly thought about the World Championship and was probably a bit too relaxed at one point,” says Alex Marquez, referring to Martin’s overtaking maneuver.
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“Later,” Alex Marquez continues, “Marc no longer drove with full risk. I think he drove at 99 percent and only called on 100 percent briefly to create a gap. I think he played a bit today. And look, now he leads the World Championship.”
How Marc Marquez thinks about the 2026 World Championship battle
But how present is the possibility of successfully defending his 2025 World Championship title this year in Marc Marquez’s own mind? “Now we have a chance,” says the Ducati factory rider after his Misano win. “It was an extremely good weekend and I have to say, now I feel free and relaxed. I’ve said it before: If I want to compete for this World Championship title, I have to be mentally very strong above all.”
Marc Marquez clarifies these thoughts further when asked by explaining: “I just have to be strong and convinced that what I do, I do well. That does not mean that everything I do goes well.”
“Today, for example, it was difficult to stay in the box during the warm-up and only go out five minutes before the end. But I have to keep my course and continue to do what I believe works best for me to deliver the best possible performance in the sprint and the main race.”
Marc Marquez: “I don’t train my brain, but …”
And in this context, Marc Marquez again refers to the photo of his heavily affected right arm, which he posted on Instagram in the time between his perfect Aragon weekend and his now again perfect Misano weekend.
“The Aragon win gave me momentum. What happened in the week after gave me the confidence to be mentally on the right track. Now I feel liberated. I will give my 100 percent with what I have. I will do that every weekend, or at least try. Of course, mistakes can happen. We are all only human. But now I am convinced of myself.”
When asked if he specifically trains his brain for this, Marc Marquez answers with conviction: “No, no. I don’t train my brain, but I try to control the situations. If you have a lamp, you just have to put it where you want it. You understand? If you want the light to shine on the right side, you just put the lamp on the right side.”
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