Márquez's Championship Push
Marc Márquez drastically cuts points deficit, entering championship contention with defiant philosophy.
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Marc Márquez has turned the 2026 MotoGP title race upside down. In just three weeks, the nine-time world champion slashed his points deficit to championship leader Marco Bezzecchi from 102 down to 40 — a swing of 62 points that has the entire paddock talking. La Opinión de Murcia reports that with 13 weekends, 26 races, and 481 points still up for grabs, Márquez is no longer chasing the title from a distance. He is right in the fight.
"Sometimes, the one who resists the most wins, not the one who has the most," Márquez said after his victory at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno. It is a mindset shift. The old Márquez raced on instinct and raw speed. This one is playing the long game — and it is working.
From 102 Points Down to 40 in Three Weekends
The turnaround started in Hungary. Just 20 days after double surgery on his foot and shoulder, Márquez won the Hungarian Sprint race. That tied him with Jorge Martín for the all-time record of 18 Sprint victories. He then added a podium finish in the main race while Bezzecchi lost ground due to tyre problems. The gap began to close. Levante EMV reports the real blow came at Brno, where Bezzecchi crashed in the Sprint and was then disqualified from the Sunday main race after a physical altercation with a track marshal.
Márquez made the most of it. He overtook Pecco Bagnaia and held off a charging Ai Ogura to win the Czech Grand Prix. It was his 101st career victory across all classes and his 76th in the premier class. His teammate Bagnaia finished third and was blunt about what happened: "Marc extracted sensations from the beginning. I lacked the pace when he overtook me," El Correo Gallego reported him saying.
Surgery Six Weeks Ago, Race Win Today — The Physical Story
This is not just a story about points. Márquez raced to victory in Brno while still recovering from major surgery. The Brno circuit leans heavily on right-hand corners — the type that historically punish him most due to his 2020 arm injury. Winning there anyway is seen as a landmark moment. Diario de Mallorca notes that Dani Pedrosa, the KTM legend, advised Márquez on the "stop-and-go" style that Brno demands. Márquez publicly credited that guidance after the race.
The data backs up his form. Over the last three race rounds, Márquez is averaging 22.5 points per weekend. Bezzecchi has averaged just 12.8 over the same stretch. Márquez himself admits he is not at 100% physically. But he says his "mental gas" and strategic patience are making up the difference — a claim that is now very hard to argue with.
Bezzecchi Disqualified, Aprilia Camp Cries Foul
Marco Bezzecchi's weekend at Brno fell apart in dramatic fashion. After crashing in the Sprint, he struck a track marshal — a violation of the FIM's "Zero Tolerance" policy toward official-rider contact. He was disqualified from the Sunday main race. His camp has called the ruling too severe and is expected to appeal any further penalties. Bezzecchi himself has stayed largely quiet since the incident. El Correo Web reports that Aprilia Racing is frustrated with what they see as over-stewardship by FIM stewards.
The disqualification has sparked a wider debate in the paddock. Some analysts say Bezzecchi's mental edge has cracked under the pressure of a resurgent Márquez. Before the Czech GP, the story of the 2026 season was about the rise of a new generation — Bezzecchi, Pedro Acosta, Ai Ogura. Márquez's comeback has interrupted that narrative. La Provincia notes that fan sentiment has shifted sharply, from "Bezzecchi's title to lose" to "Márquez inevitable."
Sachsenring and Assen Loom as Márquez's Moment to Lead
The calendar now moves to Assen in the Netherlands and then to the Sachsenring in Germany. The Sachsenring is Márquez's home track in all but name. He has won there an astonishing 11 times in MotoGP alone. If he wins at the Sachsenring while Bezzecchi struggles again, Márquez could enter the summer break as the outright championship leader. A 40-point gap evaporates fast when 481 points remain on the table. LNE reports that no one in the paddock is calling this Bezzecchi's title anymore.
Márquez's message to his rivals is simple and calm. He knows he does not always have the fastest bike or the freshest body. But he has been here before. He has won world titles through sheer will and survival. "Sometimes, the one who resists the most wins," he said. Right now, he is the last man still standing tall.
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