The 2026 MotoGP Championship heads to Misano this weekend for the San Marino Grand Prix, with recent race winner Marc Márquez looking to close the gap to championship leader Jorge Martin.
Ducati rider Márquez currently sits 19 points behind fellow Spaniard Martin, who races for Aprilia, while Italian star Marco Bezzecchi is a further five points back in third. Márquez and Bezzecchi were the dominant riders at last year’s San Marino Grand Prix, but the battle at the front could look very different this time around.
For MotoGP Expert Tom Lüthi, one of the biggest talking points heading into the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix is the potential of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pedro Acosta after the Spaniard produced an impressive second-place finish at the Aragon Grand Prix.
“In Aragon we saw another masterpiece from Marc Marquez,” said Lüthi. “But the rider who really impressed there was Pedro Acosta on the KTM. During the Grand Prix race, while Marc Marquez and Bezzecchi were battling it out, he slipped through and took second place.
“He was then actually able to keep up with the pace and held that position right to the finish. He really impressed me. That definitely showed that he’s taken a step forward.
“He was genuinely able to compete at the front, and it will of course be exciting to see if he can do the same at Misano. It promises to be thrilling.”
Can Pedro Acosta challenge Marc Márquez at Misano?
Unlike Aragon, the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is a tight and highly technical track, with its layout particularly suited to riders who have extensive experience of the circuit.
The venue is also closely associated with Italian MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi and his VR46 Academy, with several of the riders who regularly train at Rossi’s nearby ranch expected to be among the leading contenders this weekend.
“Valentino Rossi’s ranch is located very close by, which means that all the lads who train there with him – first and foremost Bezzecchi, but also Franco Morbidelli and Pecco Bagnaia – are all highly motivated because they train very often on the track there.
“The circuit itself is more technically demanding with a mix of slow and fast sections. It’s a very nice circuit. The corner on the back straight – a right-hander that effectively splits the back straight into two parts – is a really cool section.”
With rain forecast at various points across the weekend and huge crowds expected at the circuit on Saturday and Sunday, the 2026 San Marino GP could provide one of the most unpredictable rounds of the MotoGP season.
With the championship fight between Jorge Martin, Marc Márquez and Marco Bezzecchi finely balanced, all eyes will be on Misano to see whether Pedro Acosta can challenge the established MotoGP frontrunners and potentially play a major role in the title battle.
