Marc Marquez notched up a spectacular win as he picked up a rain-lashed and chaotic Spanish Grand Prix sprint race at Jerez on Saturday. The Ducati rider who started from pole position was involved in a crash midway through the race but recovered to finish a dramatic winner in a chaotic race marred by crashes bike changes and late drama. The Spaniard was victorious in a Ducati sweepshoot ahead of his factory team-mate, Francesco Bagnaia and VR46’s Franco Morbidelli, in a chaotic 12-lap battle.

The short race started dry, but with ominous weather on the way. Marquez started from pole position and went straight into the lead, setting the tempo. He quickly found himself leading the pack with Johann Zarco, starting on the front row, holding several riders back. The congestion assisted Marquez in gaining a lead in the early stages, and a potential easy victory.

First, he had to deal with Alex Marquez. The Gresini farm boy was able to overtake Zarco and then quickly catch his brother. On lap seven Alex made a daring move at Turn 8 and led. At this point, he seemed to be winning the battle against his brother as Marc was under pressure.

But, within a matter of minutes, the weather changed. A few raindrops soon transformed into a full-blown downpour and chaos broke out around the circuit. Now the riders had to choose to stay out on slick tyres or head for the pits for wet-weather bikes. That pivotal moment would decide the race.

But then came the blow. A lap after dropping the lead, Marc Marquez fell on the last corner. At first it seemed it was the end of his potential comeback but he was able to get to the Ducati and ride into pit lane. He probably ended up saving his race, however, because he was brought in at the right time for a wet tyre change.

Fabio Bagnaia, Luca Morbidelli and Brad Binder also made a pit stop together. In the reshuffle, Binder became the new leader for riders on the right tyres with Bagnaia and Marquez hot on his heels. In the meantime, many competitors who attempted a “one-lap stand” suddenly began battling at the tail of the field on slicks in rain.

The biggest price was paid by Alex Marquez. He exhausted both his chances and momentum by crashing at Turn 8 while trying to stay out. Pedro Acosta was one of many who also crashed as the track went wet. The race started as a tactical battle and then turned into a fight for life.

For a short period, the Gresini squad, thanks to their rook Fermin Aldeguer, led the way, in part because he had yet to take wets. After the well-prepared riders caught him, the race for the lead continued. KTM rider Binder looked ready for the win, but the Austrian fell coming into the final two laps of the race, and returned favour to Ducati.

Ultimately the match-up came down to Bagnaia and Marc Marquez. The Spaniard got to work. He blasted past his team-mate and built up a big lead. Marquez went on to lead the last few laps to complete a dramatic victory for the home fans.

Rider-up Binder completed a comeback to finish fourth, while Fabio Di Giannantonio was fifth for VR46. Raul Fernandez was sixth for Trackhouse Aprilia, while Fabio Quartararo was seventh for Yamaha. Zarco, Luca Marini and Alex Rins made up the top ten.

It was a poor race for title leader Marco Bezzecchi, who crashed and didn’t finish. Jorge Martin was also forced to retire early with obvious brake issues before stalling on lap two. These retirements may serve to be significant in an ever-changing battle for the championship.

It’s worth remembering one thing: Marc Marquez demonstrated he is still one of MotoGP’s best. He remained composed even after going off, before making a good tyre choice – and ended up winning the race. If this was a taste of what is to come, the title race is just about to begin.

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