Aprilia Factory Celebrates Banner Day with Jorge Martin’s MotoGP US GP Sprint Victory at COTA

Jorge Martin won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, March 28, 2026, claiming his first sprint victory with Aprilia Racing. Martin started seventh after choosing a medium rear tire gamble and executed a decisive pass on Francesco Bagnaia at Turn 12 during the final lap, a move described as “brutal” but clean by race officials.

Starting seventh on the grid after opting for a medium rear tire—a strategic gamble made prior to the race—Martin quickly advanced to fourth position by the end of the first lap amid early race incidents, records show. The medium tire choice allowed Martin to maintain a strong pace throughout the sprint, enabling him to close an almost one-second gap on Bagnaia during the final lap, sources confirmed.

Martin’s victory margin was 0.755 seconds over second-place finisher Francesco Bagnaia, who was forced to yield the lead after Martin’s decisive pass at Turn 12 on the final lap of the 10-lap sprint, according to race officials.

The overtaking maneuver at Turn 12 was described by Martin as “brutal” but clean enough to avoid penalties, with race officials confirming the move was within the rules. The pass forced Bagnaia (#63) to sit up on the corner exit, costing him the lead in the tense final shootout. Bagnaia had initially benefited from alternative tire specifications that provided an early front-running advantage, but the tire differential became a decisive factor in the closing stages of the race.

Early race drama involved riders Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez, which affected grid positions and race dynamics, according to official reports. Marco Bezzecchi, Martin’s teammate at Aprilia Racing, crashed at Turn 11 on lap eight while contesting second place with Martin, impacting the team’s overall points haul. Marc Marquez finished 17th, completing only nine of the ten laps and finishing one lap down. Alex Rins ended the sprint in 16th position, 51.120 seconds behind the leader. Pedro Acosta maintained third place throughout the race without incident, securing a podium finish.

Following the victory, Martin crashed during a celebratory wheelie on the cooldown lap at approximately 100 mph on the back straight, according to trackside witnesses. Despite the high-speed crash, Martin walked away uninjured. Officials noted the incident occurred after crossing the finish line and did not affect the race results. Martin himself described the crash as “embarrassing” but confirmed he was unharmed.

Martin’s win marked his first sprint victory since 2024 and the first for Aprilia Racing in the 2026 season, records show. The victory propelled Martin into the lead of the MotoGP world championship standings for the first time this season, according to the official championship leaderboard. Bagnaia’s second-place finish kept him competitive in the title race despite losing the lead in the sprint.

Aprilia Racing fielded Martin in the #89 machine and counts Bezzecchi as his teammate. The factory team had demonstrated strong performance in Friday practice sessions leading up to the sprint, sources confirmed. However, Bezzecchi’s crash during the race affected the team’s points accumulation on Saturday.

The Circuit of The Americas hosted the MotoGP Tissot Sprint on March 28, 2026, as part of the United States Grand Prix weekend. The sprint served as a precursor to the main race scheduled for Sunday, with teams and riders adjusting strategies accordingly. Martin’s performance at COTA continues the momentum following his championship-winning 2024 season, with the 2026 campaign now underway in earnest.