Marco Bezzecchi will start the 2026 San Marino Grand Prix from pole position at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. The Italian set the circuit's first 1m29s lap the previous day, but Marc Marquez won the Sprint after Bezzecchi lost time at the start. The main Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 14:00 local time and will run for 27 laps.

Marquez has identified Bezzecchi as the favourite for the race, while saying that his own target is to make life difficult for the pole-sitter. Victory would give Bezzecchi a second home double of the season, following his Italian Grand Prix win. For Marquez, it would be his seventh premier-class victory at Misano. Jorge Martin finished third in the Sprint from fifth on the grid and takes a 14-point lead over Marquez into the race.

Liveries, tyres and penalties

Bezzecchi and Martin will race in a special livery inspired by Gilles Villeneuve and linked to the Vespa brand. Aprilia is also paying tribute to Vespa, which celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026 and belongs to the same Piaggio Group as Aprilia. Gresini is running its own Marco Simoncelli tribute design, with styling references to the team's San Carlo sponsorship era from the early 2010s.

Air temperature before the start was 27°C, with the track at 40°C. Unlike in the Sprint, there was no tyre choice for the riders: everyone was set to use a medium front and medium rear. Franco Morbidelli has a long-lap penalty for dangerous riding in practice, rather than a grid penalty.

The Sprint's opening battle between Fermin Aldeguer and Pedro Acosta cost Aldeguer positions. His tyre pressure was too high, preventing him from recovering the lost ground. Luca Marini finished ninth for the final point, while Joan Mir was 20th after dealing with illness during the weekend. Fabio Quartararo crashed while attempting to pass Diogo Moreira and finished behind Mir.

KTM says Maverick Vinales has a 50 per cent chance of returning to MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring next week, the brand's home race. Pol Espargaro has replaced him for the last three Grands Prix as Vinales continues to deal with a shoulder injury that has affected him since last July.