Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia thinks Marc Marquez’s overtake to win the Sprint at the Spanish Grand Prix was borderline, despite his move at Jerez being branded as unnecessary.
A look at the results would show that Marquez won the Sprint at the Spanish GP from pole position, after topping the timesheet in qualifying and leading across the finish line. Yet his victory was anything but straightforward, as rain brought utter chaos to Jerez this Saturday.
Even Marquez crashed en route to winning the Jerez Sprint, which also proved to be one of the more controversial moments so far this season. Marquez avoided a penalty for cutting across the track in the Jerez Sprint after he fell at the final corner when the rain intensified.
Defending champion Marquez put his Ducati Desmosedici GP26 into the gravel at the Jorge Lorenzo hairpin whilst sat in second behind his brother, Alex Marquez of Gresini. But the 33-year-old recovered after pitting for his second bike to beat Bagnaia for the victory by 3.050s.
Should Marc Marquez have received a penalty for cutting across the track to pit after crashing in the Jerez Sprint?
Francesco Bagnaia thinks Marc Marquez’s move to win the Jerez Sprint was ‘OK’
Bagnaia was one of the earliest riders to pit for their second bike in the Sprint at the Spanish GP, which promoted him into the lead after Gresini rider Fermin Aldeguer and KTM ace Brad Binder both crashed. But Bagnaia failed to hold Marquez off whilst his teammate recovered.
Marquez made light work of overtaking Bagnaia for the lead of the Jerez Sprint with two and a half laps left, as he dived down his Ducati teammate’s inside with a late lunge at Turn 9. It initially seemed rather aggressive on Marquez’s part, but Bagnaia did not take issue with it.
Bagnaia told Canal+: “In these kinds of conditions, you have to be smart and lucky, and there, we had a bit of both. I tried to be smart when I saw that the rain was intensifying, maybe I was a lap late, but it would have been the same.
“I just tried to push in the first few laps, knowing that there would be rain, a little bit like in the morning. Afterwards, there were too many risks in following him, because Marc was really very fast…
“I think when you are fighting for victory, that’s OK. He was faster than me, and it’s difficult to manage that when you’re on a wet track like this. I didn’t really defend, either. I’m trying to be smart and stay on my wheels, not take risks.”
Michael Laverty and Neil Hodgson think Marc Marquez’s move was ‘harsh’ on Pecco Bagnaia
Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia score Ducati’s first 1-2 of 2026 in the Spanish GP Sprint – But who is your rider of race? 🏆
While Bagnaia did not share any grievances when he spoke to the media immediately after the Sprint at the Spanish GP about Marquez’s overtake for the lead, Neil Hodgson thought the Spaniard’s move was very “aggressive” but justified given the lead that he then opened.
Hodgson said on TNT Sports 2 (14:21): “This was such an aggressive move from miles back on a wet track. Who am I to say it seems unnecessary?
“He’s pulling away at the front, but it was a proper last lap lunge with, at that point, two and a bit [laps] to go. I mean, he’s checked out. At this point, now, Bagnaia has gone, ‘You want it more than me? You can have it’.”
Michael Laverty also suggested after the Sprint at the 2026 Spanish GP that Marquez’s pass on Bagnaia for the lead seemed a bit “harsh”, but importantly, it was a “clean” overtake. The Cervera native saw a chance to strike and took it, which left him in the clear to take the win.
Laverty said (14:37): “[It was] not really necessary at this point of the race. A little bit harsh on Pecco, but clean in the end.
“[He] didn’t make contact, and that was the race-winning move. Pecco did respond and try to match Marc throughout, but Marc was just too good today when the rain came down stronger, he upped the ante even further.”
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