At Misano, the championship can change leader on Sunday

MotoGP arrives at Misano with the top three separated by only 24 points. Jorge Martín leads on 256, Marc Márquez follows on 237 and Marco Bezzecchi is on 232.

Márquez is therefore 19 points behind Martín. Winning the Sprint alone would not be enough to take the championship lead on Saturday because the maximum available is 12 points. But with 37 points available across the full weekend, the lead can change hands on Sunday.

Márquez arrives with the strongest momentum after scoring the maximum in Aragón and also has a long history of success at Misano. Martín knows the circuit extremely well too, having won both Sprint and Grand Prix there in 2023.

Bezzecchi can no longer be treated as a distant third man. He is only five points behind Márquez and 24 behind Martín, at a track close to home where Aprilia has extensive reference data.

The situation creates three different pressures. Martín must protect the lead without becoming too conservative. Márquez must keep taking points without turning every opportunity into an obligation to win. Bezzecchi has a chance to turn proximity in the standings into a true three-way title fight before the flyaway rounds.