2026 MotoGP Jerez: Who’s leaving happy and who’s disappointed?

Winner: Johann Zarco

Johann Zarco reminded everyone how good he can be.

Recently, he had not been very visible, but in Jerez he showed his skill again, especially in wet conditions.

After a normal Friday, he had to go through Q1 in qualifying. But when the rain came, he became very strong. He easily moved into Q2 and then did an excellent lap to take second place on the grid, fighting closely with Marc Marquez.

The sprint race did not go well for him because of the difficult conditions. But on Sunday, in dry weather, he surprised many people again.

He stayed near the front for most of the race and finished seventh. This was a strong result, especially because other Honda riders were much further behind.

If he can improve his speed in dry qualifying, he could have more results like this.

Loser: Ducati Lenovo Team

The factory Ducati team had a very poor and worrying weekend.

Not long ago, they were winning races and championships. But now, they have gone many races without even finishing on the podium.

In Jerez, things went very wrong. While satellite Ducati teams were fast and successful, the factory team struggled badly. Other Ducati bikes finished at the front, which made the situation even worse for them.

Marc Marquez looked strong at first. He took pole position in wet conditions and won the sprint race, although he had some luck. But on Sunday, he crashed again at high speed, which is now becoming a problem.

Francesco Bagnaia also struggled. He had a quiet race and then had a technical problem, which ended his race completely.

Overall, it was a very bad weekend for the factory team, especially at a track where Ducati is usually very strong.

Winner: Enea Bastianini

Enea Bastianini had a strong and important weekend.

With Maverick Vinales injured and not racing, Bastianini became the main KTM rider at Jerez.

He did well from the start. He made it directly into Q2 on Friday and then qualified in eighth place, even though the conditions changed a lot.

The sprint race was difficult, but he stayed on the bike, which was important.

On Sunday, he finished eighth. This may not sound amazing, but he was much faster than the other KTM riders and clearly the best of them.

This result is also important because he had a good race in America before this. It shows that he is improving and becoming more consistent.

Loser: Pedro Acosta

Pedro Acosta had a very bad weekend.

Last year in Jerez, he also struggled, and this year was very similar. He was not fast from the beginning and even missed direct entry into Q2 for the first time this season.

He only got a good grid position because of the rain on Saturday, which helped him.

In the sprint race, he crashed like many others because of the difficult tyre choices.

On Sunday, in dry conditions, he did not have a good pace. He dropped down the field quickly. He also had contact with Raul Fernandez early in the race, which damaged parts of his bike.

In the end, he finished 10th, which was not too bad considering the problems, but still disappointing.

Winner: Alex Márquez

Alex Marquez had an amazing weekend and was the biggest winner.

Last year, he won his home race, which was already very special. But this time, nobody really expected him to win again. His results in the first races of the season were only average, so even he did not believe he had a real chance.

On Thursday, he even laughed when people asked about winning. But everything changed on Friday. From the moment he went on track, he looked fast and confident again, like the rider who finished second in the championship last year. He was even the fastest Ducati rider in dry conditions.

Saturday was not perfect. He crashed in both qualifying and the sprint in tricky, damp conditions. But this kind of weather was very unusual, so it was not too important to judge him on that.

On Sunday, in dry conditions, he was excellent. Starting from the second row, he controlled the race and rode smoothly to victory.

This may just be one great weekend, or it could mean he is back to his best. But one thing is clear, he is always very strong in Spain.

Winner: Raul Fernandez

Raul Fernandez finally had a strong weekend again.

After a good result at the start of the season, he had been quite quiet in the last races. So it was important for him to perform well at his home race.

He did exactly that. He was fast in practice, got into Q2 easily, and qualified ninth.

The sprint race was difficult because of the weather, but on Sunday he rode very well.

He spent a lot of time behind Johann Zarco, which slowed him down a bit. At the end of the race, his team-mate passed him on the last lap, so he finished just behind.

Even so, it was a good and needed performance, and it could help him build confidence for the next races.