Every point matters as MotoGP descends on MotorLand

MotoGP is back from its break and ready to launch straight into the second half of the season at MotorLand Aragon for the Michelin Grand Prix of Aragon. The standings remain a box office thriller with five riders split by just 41 points, even after Jorge Martin of Aprilia Racing pushed his lead out to 31 points following a strong weekend at Silverstone. Right behind them in sixth overall is British GP winner Raul Fernandez of the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, sitting 56 points adrift as the seventh different winner of the year already.

Aprilia certainly made a statement at Silverstone with Martin taking pole, the Tissot Sprint victory, and a Sunday 20-pointer. The 2024 Champion is hunting a second MotoGP title, though he heads to MotorLand knowing Aprilia won't be the favourites. Teammate Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia Racing bounced back from a miserable run before the summer break with heroics that elevated him to P2 in the championship, and a fitter #72 arrives in Aragon with the Noale camp's vibes running high.

Over at the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP set-up, Fernandez's second MotoGP victory showed what he can do on song. His teammate Ai Ogura of the SuperFiles Trackhouse MotoGP Team is eager to put a Silverstone mistake behind him, having crashed out and ended a three-race podium streak following a final corner clash with Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing back in Barcelona. Ogura sits 37 points behind Martin and faces a circuit he didn't race at last year in MotoGP.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team arrive as the ones many see as favourites in Aragon. Silverstone proved tricky for the reigning World Champion, but MotorLand is historic MM93 land where he swept pole, the Tissot Sprint, the Grand Prix, and fastest lap in his last two visits. Despite a rough UK weekend, the seven-time MotoGP World Champion sits just 40 points away from Martin and will look to respond with seven prior Aragon wins under his belt. Alex Marquez of BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP finished P2 behind Marc in both the Sprint and Grand Prix here last year, and picked up a pair of P4s at Silverstone as the standout Ducati rider. He is 134 points off the lead after early-season bad luck, but will be a huge player alongside a returning Fermin Aldeguer, who was sidelined since his Dutch GP crash.