Jorge Martin secured victory at the U.S. MotoGP sprint held in Austin on Saturday, overtaking Francesco Bagnaia during the final lap at the Circuit of the Americas. The Argentine rider crossed the line in 20 minutes and 19.546 seconds, winning by a margin of 0.755 seconds.
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing teammate and current championship leader, crashed and failed to finish the sprint for the second time this season. This setback allowed Martin to extend his record to 17 wins, marking his first with Aprilia.
Pedro Acosta finished third but received an eight-second penalty due to low tyre pressure, which dropped him to eighth place and promoted Enea Bastianini to the podium. After winning the race, Martin crashed on the cool-down lap while attempting a wheelie but escaped uninjured.
The intense atmosphere at the Circuit of the Americas saw multiple incidents throughout the day, with Bezzecchi’s early crash highlighting his vulnerability despite his championship credentials. Defending champion Marc Marquez also experienced an early setback when he crashed and took pole-sitter Fabio di Giannantonio down with him, resulting in a lengthy penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix.