Sinkhole and Track Failure Delay Goiania MotoGP; Laps Cut

Heavy Thursday flooding at the Goiania circuit and a sinkhole discovered after qualifying disrupted the weekend and forced lengthy repairs, delaying the program by roughly 75–90 minutes. The interruption pushed the Sprint back and moved Moto2 qualifying to Sunday; late resurfacing work and visible surface failure on the pit straight further delayed the event.

Race Direction cut the feature race from 31 to 23 laps minutes before the start after track degradation became apparent. Parts of the circuit were reported to be breaking up and striking riders, prompting safety concerns and an on-camera confrontation between Aprilia team principal Davide Tardozzi and MotoGP boss Carlos Ezpeleta. The lap reduction came after riders had already locked in tire choices, a change teams and riders said affected strategy and outcomes.

Despite the disruption, Marco Bezzecchi led from the start of the shortened grand prix and took victory, holding off teammate Jorge Martín to give Aprilia a 1–2. Bezzecchi’s winning margin was about 3.2 seconds; it was reported as his second win of 2026 and extended his championship lead to 11 points. Some outlets described the result as Aprilia’s first premier-class one-two, while others noted it was the manufacturer’s fourth consecutive MotoGP win. The podium was completed by polesitter Fabio Di Giannantonio, who held off Marc Márquez—Márquez having won the Sprint the previous day. Several high-profile riders crashed out during the grand prix, including Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia (lap 11), Joan Mir and Brad Binder. Teams and riders said the weekend was defined as much by unusual circuit failures and extreme tire degradation as by the on-track contest. Jorge Martín said the hole was “off the racing line” and that “we could race even with the hole,” but mixed conditions—from heavy rain and flooding early in the weekend to scorching temperatures during the race—complicated set-up and tire strategy. With safety concerns and post-race controversy still under discussion, the championship moves on to the next round as teams assess the circuit damage and the decisions taken in Goiania.