Marquezโs win sees him match reigning World Champion Jorge Martinโs feat of five straight Sprint wins, further solidifying his status as the man to beat in 2024.
Early Drama Ends Quartararoโs Hopes
Starting from a sensational pole position, Quartararo initially lost the lead off the line to Marquez but fought back immediately with a bold late-braking move into Turn 1 to reclaim P1. Behind them, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) moved up to third, while Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) fended off Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) to sit fourth.
However, Quartararoโs charge was short-lived. As the field began Lap 2, Marc Marquez tucked in behind and attacked at the Dani Pedrosa corner (Turn 6). Trying to hang it around the outside on the dirtier part of the track, Quartararo lost the front under braking and slid out of contention, ending what had been an impressive day in crushing disappointment.
Marquez Controls the Race
With Quartararo sidelined, Marc Marquez seized control, leading Alex Marquez by half a second, with Bagnaia a further three tenths adrift. Morbidelli kept the pressure on in fourth, while rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) ran fifth despite an early scare, and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) slotted into sixth.
As the laps ticked down, Marquez gradually built his advantage. Although Alex Marquez closed the gap slightly to under a second mid-race, the elder Marquez responded, extending it back to over 1.4s with five laps to run. Bagnaia, meanwhile, remained steady in third, not quite able to pressure Alex Marquez for second, while Morbidelli fell slightly off the podium battle.
Despite the intense pressure, no mistakes came from the leading trio. Roared on by more than 100,000 passionate fans packed into the famous Jerez hillsides, Marc Marquez crossed the line 1.2 seconds clear of his brother Alex to take yet another Sprint gold, while Bagnaia banked solid points in third.
Sprint Points Finishers
Franco Morbidelli took a strong fourth place ahead of home hero Fermin Aldeguer, who continued his eye-catching form with fifth. Fabio Di Giannantonio fended off a late charge from Maverick Viรฑales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to secure sixth.
Viรฑales settled for seventh, with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) finishing eighth. 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) picked up a valuable point in ninth, while Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out the top 10.
