The 2026 MotoGP season has proved to be extremely competitive so far. As the 1000cc era draws to a close ahead of the switch to new 850cc prototypes with less aerodynamic influence next year, there is an interesting variety at the front of the championship, even if the main protagonists are clearly defined.
As was evident in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Aprilia appears to have the best bike on the grid. While Ducati, boosted by Marc Marquez's return, has been able to close the gap, the RS-GP still has circuits where it holds an advantage – particularly tracks with fast, flowing corners where tyre wear becomes especially important. This is an area where Aprilia appears to have the edge over the Desmosedici.
However, the Bologna manufacturer remains capable of stopping its Noale rival's dominance, as it showed before the summer break. At circuits where reigning world champion Marquez believed he could attack, such as Balaton Park, Brno and Sachsenring, the #93 dominated to throw himself back into title contention. Beyond the biggest names, though, the championship battle is more open than ever.
While Jorge Martin has relied on consistency to lead the MotoGP standings, he took another step forward at Silverstone by extending his advantage and increasingly establishing himself as the benchmark in the premier class. Marquez endured a difficult weekend and lost as many as 22 points in the championship, but he will be waiting for more favourable venues to launch another attack, starting with the next round in Aragon. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi bounced back strongly in Britain despite his physical problems, putting his run of poor results behind him. And alongside these riders, several other contenders have joined the party.
These are riders who have won races in the current season and cannot yet be ruled out of the title fight. One example is Ai Ogura, who made his first mistake of 2026 at Silverstone but had arrived at the British GP fresh from victory at Assen before the summer break. That was his maiden MotoGP win, ending a long wait for Japan in the premier class, and at one stage he was just 14 points off the championship lead. After the British GP, he sits 37 points adrift.
Ogura's success at the Cathedral of Speed was also significant from a statistical perspective, as he ceased to be one of the remaining riders on the grid yet to win a Sunday MotoGP race. Of the 22 full-time riders competing in 2026, 18 have now won at least one grand prix.
MotoGP 2026 riders' win tally
| Rider | Number of MotoGP wins | First win | Most recent win |
 Marc Marquez | 76 victories | Austin 2013 | Sachsenring 2026 |
 Francesco Bagnaia | 31 victories | Aragon 2021 | Motegi 2025 |
 Fabio Quartararo | 11 victories | Jerez 2020 | Sachsenring 2022 |
| Maverick Vinales | 10 victories | Silverstone 2016 | Austin 2024 |
| Marco Bezzecchi | 10 victories | Termas de Río Hondo 2023 | Mugello 2026 |
| Jorge Martín | 9 victories | Red Bull Ring 2021 | Le Mans 2026 |
| Enea Bastianini | 7 victories | Losail 2022 | Misano 2024 |
| Alex Rins | 6 victories | Austin 2019 | Austin 2023 |
| Alex Marquez | 4 victories | Jerez 2025 | Jerez 2026 |
 Jack Miller | 4 victories | Assen 2016 | Motegi 2022 |
| Franco Morbidelli | 3 victories | Misano 2020 | Valencia 2020 |
| Raul Fernandez | 2 victories | Phillip Island 2025 | Silverstone 2026 |
 Brad Binder | 2 victories | Brno 2020 | Red Bull Ring 2021 |
| Fabio Di Giannantonio | 2 victories | Losail 2023 | Barcelona 2026 |
| Johann Zarco | 2 victories | Phillip Island 2023 | Le Mans 2025 |
| Joan Mir | 1 victory | Valencia 2021 | Valencia 2021 |
| Fermin Aldeguer | 1 victory | Mandalika 2025 | Mandalika 2025 |
 Ai Ogura | 1 victory | Assen 2026 | Assen 2026 |
While Fermin Aldeguer was the last rider to join the winners' table in 2025, when he dominated the Indonesian GP, Ogura became the latest addition in 2026. His Trackhouse Racing team has continued to produce plenty to be proud of, too. In recent rounds, Aprilia's satellite squad has arguably performed at a higher level than the factory team, with Raul Fernandez claiming his second MotoGP victory at Silverstone after also winning at Phillip Island last year.
Although Fernandez endured several difficult races before his renewal with the American team was confirmed, he cannot yet be ruled out of the title fight. The Madrid-born rider sits sixth in the championship, but is only 56 points behind 'Martinator' – less than the equivalent of two grand prix victories with 10 rounds still remaining in a season where mistakes have been commonplace.
Pedro Acosta, the biggest omission from the winners' list
That leaves four full-time riders yet to win their first MotoGP race. And without doubt, the most notable name among them is Pedro Acosta. In his third season in the premier class, the Spaniard is still waiting for his maiden victory, hampered by an uncompetitive KTM that only he appears capable of extracting performance from while his team-mates struggle even to reach the top 10 or score points.
Acosta began 2026 by winning the Thailand sprint ahead of Marc Marquez, in a controversial finish that nevertheless suggested he could have a chance to fight for victories this season. That opportunity has yet to materialise, to the extent that Acosta is now has the most podium finishes without a grand prix win in the MotoGP era.
The two-time world champion will continue to pursue that goal before moving to Ducati in 2027, where he should have greater opportunities, as he made clear at Silverstone.
Alongside him, the other three full-time riders yet to win are Luca Marini, who will leave Honda for Tech3 next year and switch to a KTM, and the two rookies in the field this season: Diogo Moreira, who could move up to the factory Honda team, and Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is expected to remain with Pramac. Razgatlioglu still faces a difficult task on the Yamaha M1 with its V4 engine, despite his pedigree as a three-time World Superbike champion.
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