MotoGP: Bezzecchi wins as Michelin takes tricky Brazilian weekend in its stride
The Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Brazil – Round 2 of the MotoGP World Championship – was won by Marco Bezzecchi, ahead of Aprilia Racing team-mate Jorge Martín and pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). The result takes Bezzecchi's score to four wins in a row and continues his flying start to the 2026 campaign. It was the championship's first-ever visit to Circuit de Goiânia and Michelin's MotoGP range rose to the occasion with another display of its versatility and consistency despite the changeable conditions. Read on for more about what happened during the #BrazilianGP.
Bezzecchi started from second on the grid but set a blistering pace from lights-out, dominating for 23 laps on a front/rear combination of hard/medium MICHELIN Power slicks.
He bettered the fastest race lap several times en route to opening up a gap of two seconds by the halfway point. He then used his tires' consistency and grip to build on this cushion and ultimately take the win by a margin of 3.2 seconds.
Following his successes in Portugal and Valencia in 2025, and in Thailand earlier this month, the Aprilia rider has now won four grands prix on the trot and provisionally leads 2026's provisional standings.
On the same tire pairing, Martín emerged as Bezzecchi's closest challenger. The 2024 champion bounced back from a tough 2025 marked by injury to produce a splendid performance, finish on the podium and contribute to Aprilia's first one-two of the season.
After coming second in Saturday's sprint, Di Giannantonio started Sunday's main attraction from pole-position and ended up bagging a top-three result after a thrilling scrap with the sprint-winner Marc Márquez (4th, Ducati Lenovo Team).
TrackHouse MotoGP Team's Ai Ogura was the third Aprilia rider in the afternoon's top five.
Michelin's tires faced a stiff challenge on their first visit to the Brazilian venue where they had to cope with demanding conditions all weekend. The riders were unable to lap on a completely dry track during the first day of practice and only got their first chance to carry out useful set-up work and evaluate the different tire options on Day 2. Track temperatures soared to almost 60°C for both races but the remarkable grip provided by Michelin's slicks played a part in the entertaining action and overtaking.
The grand prix itself was shortened from 31 to 23 laps due to degradation of the track's asphalt, notably through Turns 11 and 12.
Bezzecchi provisionally tops the Riders' standings on 56 points, chased by Martin (45) and Red Bull KTM Factory Team's Pedro Acosta (42).
Next round: Red Bull Grand Prix of the United States, Austin, Texas (March 27-29).