Bezzecchi rewrites the record books again with dominant COTA victory

Marco Bezzecchi continued his incredible run of form with another standout performance at the Circuit of the Americas, securing a fifth consecutive Grand Prix win and further cementing his place among the sport’s elite. The Aprilia Racing rider is now only the third Italian in history to achieve five wins in a row, joining legends like Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini.

It was also a landmark day for Aprilia, as Jorge Martin completed a second consecutive 1-2 finish for the team, while Pedro Acosta rounded out the podium after a hard-fought race.

Fast start and early fireworks

From the lights, Acosta made a brilliant launch to grab the holeshot, but Bezzecchi was quick to respond and slotted into second, with Martin making an equally strong start to move into third.

The intensity ramped up almost immediately. Into Turn 11, Acosta ran slightly wide, opening the door for Bezzecchi to dive up the inside. On the exit, the pair went wheel-to-wheel and even made light contact, with a small piece of bodywork flying off Bezzecchi’s bike. Despite the moment, he held onto the lead, while Acosta gathered things up quickly and stayed firmly in contention, with Martin close behind waiting for his opportunity.

Battles rage through the field

Further back, there was no shortage of action. Fabio Di Giannantonio was locked in a scrap with Marc Marquez, initially keeping the upper hand. Soon after, Francesco Bagnaia joined the fight, managing to edge past Marquez, with Joan Mir also getting involved in the battle.

Meanwhile, Bezzecchi was quietly making history at the front. By Lap 4, he had officially broken the modern-era record for most consecutive laps led in MotoGP, surpassing the previous mark of 103 set by Jorge Lorenzo in 2015. From that point on, every lap extended an already remarkable achievement.

Marquez’s race took a strategic turn as he served a Long Lap penalty for an earlier incident, dropping him down the order. Mir, who had also been handed a penalty for gaining an advantage, saw his race end soon after with a crash.

Mid-race momentum shifts

At the front, Martin began to apply pressure on Acosta for second place, making a bold attempt that didn’t quite come off before suffering a big scare at Turn 1. Although he saved the bike, the moment cost him time and allowed Di Giannantonio and Bagnaia to close in.

By the halfway stage, Bezzecchi had built a small but important gap of around a second over Acosta, with Martin, Di Giannantonio and Bagnaia forming a tightly packed chasing group.

One of the standout performances during this phase came from Ai Ogura. The Trackhouse rider was on a charge, first passing Alex Marquez and then aggressively but cleanly overtaking Bagnaia. He didn’t stop there, soon dispatching Di Giannantonio as well to move further up the order.

Drama and decisive moves

As the race entered its closing stages, another twist unfolded. Acosta had a slight moment at Turn 1, which allowed Martin to slip through into second place, giving Aprilia control of the top two positions.

Ogura’s impressive charge came to an unfortunate end shortly after, as a technical issue forced him to slow and retire, ending what had been one of the most exciting rides of the race.

Behind them, the fight for fifth intensified. Marquez, Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini and Alex Marquez were locked together in a fierce battle. Bastianini briefly got the better of Marquez, but the Spaniard responded quickly. The positions changed multiple times in quick succession, with late braking moves and cutbacks keeping the contest alive until the final laps.

Bezzecchi in control to the flag

Out front, Bezzecchi remained calm and consistent, managing the gap to Martin and avoiding mistakes. On the final lap, he had just enough in reserve to maintain his advantage, crossing the line 1.7 seconds clear to secure another commanding victory.

In doing so, he extended his record for consecutive laps led to an astonishing 121 and became the first rider since Marc Marquez in 2014 to win the opening three races of a MotoGP season.

Martin completed the Aprilia 1-2, marking the first time the manufacturer has achieved back-to-back one-two finishes. Acosta held firm to claim third, bouncing back strongly after his early race scare.

Final results and championship picture

Di Giannantonio finished fourth as the top Ducati rider on the day, while Marc Marquez recovered well from his penalty to take fifth, narrowly ahead of Bastianini. Alex Marquez followed in seventh.

Raul Fernandez secured eighth place, finishing ahead of Luca Marini, with Bagnaia slipping back late in the race after running in contention earlier on.

Looking ahead to Jerez

The Texas round delivered drama, records and a clear statement from Aprilia. Bezzecchi’s current form has put him firmly in control of the championship fight, while Martin’s consistency keeps him right in the mix.

With a short break before the European leg begins, attention now turns to Jerez. The Spanish Grand Prix is known for its electric atmosphere and close racing, and with momentum building across the grid, the next chapter of the season promises even more excitement.

For now, though, Austin belonged to Bezzecchi—a rider rewriting the record books one race at a time.