Francesco Bagnaia thinks Marc Marquez’s approach to winning the sprint at the Spanish Grand Prix was borderline, despite his move to Jerez being deemed unnecessary.
When we see the results, it shows that Marquez They won the sprint Spanish GP From pole position, leading the timesheets efficiently and across the finish line. However, his victory was straightforward as the rain caused absolute chaos at Jerez this Saturday.
Even Marquez fell on the road to win the Jerez SprintThis proved to be one of the most controversial moments of the season so far. Marquez avoided a penalty for cutting at the Jerez sprint track. After falling in the last corner when the rain intensified.
Defending champion Marquez put the Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on the gravel at Jorge Lorenzo’s hairpin, finishing second behind brother Alex Marquez of Gresini. But the 33-year-old recovered after spinning his bike for the second time to hit Bagnaya 3.050s for the win.
Should Marc Marquez have been penalized for cutting his way to the pits after crashing in the Jerez sprint?
Francesco Bagnaia thinks Marc Marquez’s move to win the Jerez sprint was ‘okay’.
Bagnaia was one of the first riders on his bike for the second time at the Spanish GP, pushing him into the lead after Gresini rider Fermin Aldeguerre and KTM’s Brad Binder both crashed. But Bagnaia failed to dislodge Marquez as his team-mate recovered.
Marquez made easy work of Bagnaia for the Jerez Sprint lead and with two-and-a-half laps to go, he spun his Ducati team-mate late on the inside and went down late in Turn 9. It looked aggressive on Marquez’s part at first, but Bagnaia made no trouble for it.
Bagnaia told him Canal +“In such situations you have to be smart and lucky, and there, we were both. I tried to be smart when I saw that the rain was increasing, maybe I was a lap late, but it would be the same.
I tried to push through the first few laps, knowing it was going to rain like the morning before. After that he had many dangers to follow, because Mark was so fast…
“I think it’s good when you’re fighting for the win. He was faster than me and when you’re on a wet track like this it’s hard to manage. I didn’t defend well either. I’m trying to be smart and stay on my bike, not to risk.”
Michael Laverty and Neil Hodgson think Marc Marquez’s move on Peko Bagnaia was ‘brutal’
Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia score Ducati’s first 1-2 at the Spanish GP Sprint in 2026 – but who is the race rider? 🏆
Speaking to the media about Marquez’s lead in the Spanish GP after the sprint, Bagnaia shared no compunctions. Neil Hodgson He thought the Spaniard’s move was too “difficult” but justified his opening lead.
Hodgson said. TNT Sports 2 (14:21): “This was such a powerful move from miles away on a wet road. Who am I to think it was unnecessary?”
“He’s pulling ahead, but it was a real last-lap lunge, at that point, two-and-a-half (laps) to go. I mean, he’s checked. At this point, now, Bagnaia goes, ‘You want more than me? You can have it.’
Michael Laverty Also, Marquez’s pass by Bagnaia after the sprint at the 2026 Spanish GP seemed a bit “brutal”, but essentially, it was a “clean” pass. The Cervera native saw an opportunity to strike and took it, leaving him clear to take the win.
Laverty (14:37) said: “(It wasn’t really important during this race) a bit harsh on Peco, but clean in the end.
“(He) didn’t make contact and that was the race-winning move. Peco responded and tried to match Marc all over, but Marc was really good today when the rain came down more, he picked up the pace more.”
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