: The reigning champion has had a "bruising" start to his title defense, marked by frequent crashes, but he recently secured a "surreal" sprint victory at Jerez despite a mid-race fall.
The fourth round at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto was one of the most unpredictable in recent history. Sudden rain turned the track into an "ice rink," leading to a flurry of crashes including Marc Márquez , Brad Binder , and Pedro Acosta . Márquez sensationally remounted, took a "shortcut" through a strip of grass to change bikes, and recovered to win—a move stewards ruled legal despite protests from other riders. Upcoming 2026 Race Calendar Articles on the topic: "moto gp"
The championship now moves deeper into Europe with 22 total rounds scheduled for the year. Notably, Brazil returns to the calendar for the first time since 2004. : Grand Prix de France (Le Mans) May 15–17 : Grand Prix of Catalonia (Barcelona) May 29–31 : Gran Premio d’Italia (Mugello) June 5–7 : Grand Prix of Hungary (Balaton Park) Google Sports Data This response uses data provided by Google Sports MotoGP™ World Standings | 2026 : The reigning champion has had a "bruising"