MotoGP Round 7 2025 report | Bezzecchi victorious in chaotic British GP

MotoGP Round 7 2025 report | As they say, timing is everything in sport, and for Aprilia Racing, Marco Bezzecchi’s (Aprilia Racing #72) victory at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom couldn’t have come at a better time. Report: Ed Stratmann & MotoGP. Images: MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

As Friday afternoons go, this was a very good one. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) snatched P1 from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20) with a cracking new all-time lap record on his final flying lap. The #73’s 1:57.295 meant he was the rider with a target on his back heading into Saturday at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom, as Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP #43) rounded out the top three on a bright afternoon for Yamaha at Silverstone.

It’s fair to say Fabio Quartararo and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are enjoying qualifying of late, because for the third time in succession, the French star will launch into the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix from a record-breaking pole position. Quartararo’s new Silverstone all-time lap record, a 1:57.233, was a staggering 0.309s better than second place Alex Marquez’s (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) best effort, and over half a second clear of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #63) in P3. Meanwhile, Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team #93) would start from P4.

Read our previous MotoGP news here…

Moto2

Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP enjoyed Friday at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom, didn’t they? Manuel Gonzalez’s (#18) new all-time lap record, a 2:02.111, saw the title chase leader sit 0.4s clear of teammate Senna Agius (#81) at the end of play. Third place went the way of Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #12), as the Czech star was just over half a second adrift of Gonzalez despite suffering an early crash towards the start of the session.

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego #44) came through Q1 to clinch pole position at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom by 0.148s, with pre-session favourite and Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) settling for P2. Canet’s 2:02.482 was 0.335s faster than third place Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #10), the Brazilian grabbing a front row at Silverstone.

Moto3

Friday afternoons are hammer time for Moto3™ this year, and Silverstone proved no different. The 35 minutes to determine who moved to Q2 and who had to fight it out in Q1 were hectic, with everyone looking to bag a top 14 spot. It was business as usual for some of the main contenders, though, despite rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo #83) coming out on top and setting a new lap record with a 2:09.104.

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo #99) took his second pole of the season, heading home teammate Alvaro Carpe in the process, but a back of the grid penalty for the Championship leader meant it was the #83 who started from pole for the first time in his Moto3 career. Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #36) would launch from P2, and following Rueda’s penalty, David Almansa (Leopard Racing #22) was promoted to the front row.

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) pulled the pin to perfection in the Tissot Sprint at Silverstone, flying to victory by over three seconds after outpacing Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). The battle for the podium was a gloves-off throwdown behind, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Team #49) coming out on top in a five-rider scrap on Saturday.

Quartararo took the holeshot from pole as the Ducati trio behind scuffled over second, with Alex Marquez able to grab it back despite a lunge round the outside from Marc Marquez, the #93 having launched from fourth and sending it. So El Diablo led Alex, Marc and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), but by the end of the Wellington Straight on Lap 1, the #93 was up into second. And by the end of the Hangar Straight, Marc Marquez was through into the lead.

It seemed ominous with six Sprint wins in a row behind him, but there was time left on the clock yet this time out. And Alex Marquez was soon on his tail after dispatching Quartararo over the line. Not long after, Marc Marquez was wide at Turn 3, and the #73 needed no invitation, taking over in the lead, and the duo then started to build a gap, leaving Quartararo vs Bagnaia vs Diggia as the battle for third.

Bagnaia was past the Yamaha not long after, and the #49 was able to follow suit, but there was a spectacular Fabio-on-Fabio duel for it. As Diggia closed in on Bagnaia, Quartararo suddenly seemed to surge closer to them again too – but by then Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR #5) was on the way to get involved. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), was coming as well as the #72 put on a serious charge after having dropped well outside the top ten off the line.

Alex Marquez continued to hold off Marc in the lead, but that battle behind erupted. Bezzecchi struck against Zarco first, and next up, the Aprilia had a target lock on Quartararo. He got past him at the end of the Wellington Straight and then homed in on Bagnaia – with Diggia managing to put in the metres to pull away and escape the melee. The #49 seemed safe in that P3 as Bez then elbowed past Bagnaia before Zarco then shot past the #63 into Maggots and Becketts. Quartararo was left trying to find his way through on Bagnaia too but just ran out of laps.

At the front, Alex Marquez kept that hammer down, didn’t make a single mistake and slowly edged out a gap to then pull the pin in style to break that streak of consecutive Sprint wins and take his own first Sprint win since 2023. Marc Marquez was forced to settle for second, and Diggia made a rostrum return for the first time since a GP podium in Austin.

Behind, Bezzecchi’s charge from near the back of the grid resulted in an impressive fourth, with his pace one to watch on Sunday if he had less to do off the line. Zarco was fifth, with Bagnaia just holding on to that sixth place ahead of Quartararo.

“We did everything in the perfect way. I made a little mistake, the start was not a really nice one, but later on when he [Marc Marquez] went a little bit wide, I said ‘OK, I need to do my pace until the end’. I had a really good feeling with the bike, I was enjoying it a lot,” Alex Marquez said.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

1. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati
2. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo (+3.511s)
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+5.072s)
4. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing (+5.658s)
5. Johann Zarco Castrol Honda LCR (+6.707s)

Sunday
MotoGP

In a drama-filled Sunday at Silverstone that saw Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) reign supreme, and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20) all have issues, this left Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) to clinch a fantastic P2 finish behind the Italian.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez, following a red-flagged stoppage, was able to bounce back and pick up P3 in a podium fight that went down to the wire in an unforgettable Silverstone encounter.

Straight from lights out, drama unfolded. From the middle of the front row, Alex Marquez got a fantastic launch and led, but once the front brake was applied heading into Turn 1, the front end folded without an ounce of warning. Like a flash, the #73 was down and out of the Grand Prix – or so we thought at the time – as Marc Marquez gained the lead ahead of Quartararo and Bagnaia.

At the end of the first lap, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #21) and Aleix Espargaro (Honda HRC Test Team #41) crashed together at the Vale chicane, which would eventually bring out the red flags due to an oil spill. But before we learnt that, Grand Prix leader Marc Marquez was down at Turn 11! The top two in the World Championship both suffered crashes, but because there hadn’t been three laps completed, all riders were eligible for the restart, which would be a 19-lap Grand Prix. Was it a get-out-of-jail-free card for the Marquez brothers? Yes. But they’d both be starting on their not-so-preferred number two machines.

Take two saw Bagnaia grab the holeshot into Turn 1, but at Turn 3, Quartararo struck to pounce into an early lead. Marc Marquez was passed by Alex Marquez and then so was Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) at Brooklands.

1.2s was Quartararo’s advantage at the end of Lap 1, and at Turn 3, Miller carved his way past Marc Marquez for P3. And then at Brooklands, we had a Yamaha 1-2. The Australian launched it up the inside of Bagnaia, and then Marc Marquez ran wide at Copse, which dropped him behind Zarco.

2.4s was now Quartararo’s advantage, and we then had Zarco pass Pecco for P3. And sniffing an opportunity, Marc Marquez was through too. Then, Copse caught out both factory Ducatis. Marquez and Pecco were wide after separate moments, and that saw them drop to P9 and P10. Work to do.

Things then went from bad to worse for Pecco. Going through Luffield, the front end said no more, and that was the Italian’s Grand Prix over. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi was now P3 ahead of Zarco, and Alex Marquez was P5, while Quartararo held a 3.9s gap over Miller. What a Grand Prix this was.

One thing to note was this: the current front four – Quartararo, Miller, Bezzecchi and Zarco – were on the soft front Michelin tyre. A compound that hasn’t yet completed a race distance, so would it hold up?

On Lap 6 of 19, Bezzecchi and Zarco got the better of Miller as the latter dropped from P2 to P4 in a couple of seconds. Now, what kind of pace did Bezzecchi have up his sleeve? The gap to Quartararo was 5.3s. That was then five seconds flat as Bez shaved three tenths off the disadvantage in clean air.

Elsewhere, Marc Marquez was now right behind Alex Marquez – the top two were P6 and P7, behind Morbidelli and Miller, and just ahead of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol #36). The #93 then sliced his way through on the #73 at Vale, and on the next lap, the Championship leader picked off Miller. On the same lap, Alex Marquez made a mistake at Vale, and that cost him both time and a place – Mir was now ahead.

The fastest lap of the race, a 1:59.770, was slammed home by Bezzecchi as the Italian ate into Quartararo’s lead. On Lap 10 of 19, the gap was down to 4.7s, and on the next lap, it was down to 4.4s. Elsewhere, Marc Marquez was now P4 ahead of Morbidelli and now had three seconds to make up to get onto the rear wheel of Zarco for the podium places.

Suddenly, we saw Quartararo with his arm raised. What had happened? It looked like a technical issue meant the rear ride height device was stuck, and despite the efforts of trying to disengage it for more than half a lap, the YZR-M1 was having none of it. Heartbreak for Quartararo and Yamaha. A potential return to the top step snatched away in such cruel circumstances.

However, Quartararo’s gut-wrenching end to the Grand Prix was Aprilia’s gain because that was the lead handed on a plate to Bezzecchi.

The Italian was 2.9s up the road from Zarco, who, in turn, was two seconds clear of Marc Marquez. But it wasn’t a comfortable P3 for the title chase leader. Miller, Morbidelli, Marquez and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37) were all in with a shout of claiming a Silverstone podium with five laps to go.

In that podium fight, Miller and Alex Marquez were treating all to a brilliant battle as Morbidelli tried to cling onto Marc Marquez, who was now eight tenths clear of the chasing pack. At the front, Bezzecchi was four seconds clear as Zarco kept Marquez just over a second adrift.

Last lap time at Silverstone. Bezzecchi was 4.6s clear, but plenty of focus was on the podium fight. Turn 3 saw Morbidelli pass Marquez, but the latter bit straight back. Could Morbidelli respond? Yes, he could. Copse Corner was the chosen place – now the question was on Marc Marquez to have a say.

And he did. A great run out of Turn 14 allowed Marquez to get the inside line at Stowe – but it wasn’t over yet. Morbidelli slammed his Ducati down the inside at Vale, but running wide, his exit was compromised, and Marquez managed to shove his way back through on the cutback to just earn a P3 as Alex Marquez finished right behind his brother and Morbidelli in that fantastic fight.

Up the road though, elation for Bezzecchi and Aprilia. A debut win in Noale colours came for the Italian, and after his French GP heroics, Zarco claimed another fantastic result in P2. Chapeaux to the top two.

Acosta delivered some cracking middle-to-late race pace to finish in P6 ahead of Miller, as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol #10) clinched an equal-best Honda result in P8 – but that was wiped away post-race due to a 16-second tyre pressure penalty.

“It’s amazing, it has been a really tough time for me in this past month. I started a new adventure and Aprilia trusted in me, and we worked really hard. We’ve been through some tough periods in the past races, but we never gave up. and the team did a wonderful job. And the whole factory in Noale [Italy]. I was waiting for a day like this,” Bezzecchi reflected.

MotoGP Race Results

1. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing
2. Johann Zarco Castrol Honda LCR (+4.088s)
3. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo (+5.929s)
4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+5.946s)
5. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+6.024s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

1. Marc Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati – 196
2. Alex Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 172
3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 124
4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 98
5. Johann Zarco Castrol Honda LCR – 97

Moto2

They say the best is often saved until last, and the final few laps of the Moto2™ Grand Prix at Silverstone were certainly a blockbuster. A frenetic five-way battle gave us the first double South American podium in Moto2, but it was Australia’s day with Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) snatching victory in the final corners to defeat Brazilian Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Colombian David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team #80).

There was big drama elsewhere too as Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed out on the comeback after a bad start – but maintained his points lead, just.

A fiery opening lap saw Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) snatch the holeshot, whilst Championship leader Gonzalez went backwards after getting a terrible initial launch. Moreira was a brief leader at Turn 3, while at the end of the Hangar Straight, Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2™ #28) hit the front for the first time.

On Lap 4, there were two sets of drama as Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI #4) fell at Turn 3 and Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96) dropped back to P13. Then, at Turn 6, Gonzalez collided and crashed with Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego #7) – Baltus originally stayed upright, but then a second hit from the Spaniard’s fallen machine was enough to take him out. Riders ok, but both out of this race. There was then an established group of five at the front, but no established order. Canet, Moreira, Alonso, Agius and Guevara were swapping paint relentlessly going into the second half of the Grand Prix.

Entering the final third, Alonso went from third to first into Stowe to lead for the first time – the first Colombian rider to lead a Moto2 Grand Prix since Yonny Hernandez at Estoril in 2010. It didn’t last long, though, as Canet struck back a few corners later. That didn’t fluster the reigning Moto3 World Champion, who was still right there, battling away with fellow South American Moreira.

However, with four laps to go, constant trading paint seemed to give Canet a half a second advantage over the rest of the group, as Moreira, Alonso and Agius couldn’t nominate one rider to chase the #44 down. However, once Alonso had muscled his way ahead and without interference, he bridged the gap and was making for a grandstand finish on the final lap.

The last 5.6km were breathtaking; after Alonso tried at Turn 6, he was forced to wait until his favourite passing opportunity at Stowe. He got the job done, and despite the front tyre crying for mercy, the #80 somehow managed to keep an inside line and held the advantage on the run to Vale.

Canet had other ideas, though, as he let the brakes off into the last chicane, running himself and Alonso wide and allowing the #81 of Agius to burst through around the outside. Then into the last corner, Moreira biffed Alonso out of the way, barging through to second whilst wide on the exit of the last corner, and Alonso kept it pinned to pip Canet off the rostrum. Agius threaded the needle to perfection through it all, going from third to the win in style. With Australia, Brazil and Colombia represented as Canet was forced to settle for fourth, it was a non-European podium for the first time in Moto2. Behind Canet in P4, Guevara rounded out the top five after just losing touch late on, ahead of a hard-charging Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team #13).

Moto2 Race Results

1. Senna Agius Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP
2. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team (+0.434s)
3. David Alonso CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (+0.498s)
4. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO (+0.518s)
5. Izan Guevara BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (+0.673s)

Moto2 Championship Points

1. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 111
2. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 108
3. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing – 82
4. Barry Baltus Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 73
5. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team – 70

Moto3

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made it three wins in a row in some style at the Tissot Grand Prix of the UK. The points leader also joined an exclusive club of riders who’ve won from the back: Marc Marquez (Valencia 2012, Moto2™), Brad Binder (Jerez 2016, Moto3™) and David Alonso (Silverstone 2023, Moto3). He’d taken pole but then got penalised for being slow on the line in Q2 after setting his best lap, but that didn’t stop him.

Still, it wasn’t easy as rookie Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team #28) went toe-to-toe with Rueda to the final lap. He was forced to settle for second, but that second, also his first ever podium, was taken in style. Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse #58) completed the podium, and after a Long Lap penalty he’d seen for contact with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #64).

Off the line, Rueda got a good start and picked off a few riders into Turn 1, but as Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) nailed the holeshot, there remained a good distance between the #99 starting his comeback and his rookie teammate at the front. As always though, the Moto3™ freight train was out in full force as a huge lead group streaked around Silverstone.

The lead group was down to 12 riders as the race settled slightly, with Rueda making his way through to the front of the second group by Lap 3. By Lap 4, he was in the front group and starting to make his way through it. With five laps to go, the #99 had ventured into the top five and was attacking those who’d led the way from the off, and not long after, he was in the lead.

It wasn’t a fairytale pull the pin and go, though. Quiles dug in to make it a last-lap duel between the Championship leader and the rookie, with everything coming down to the final corner. Side by side down the Hangar Straight and then again from Stowe down into the chicane, that’s where Quiles was ever so slightly deep – and Rueda dived for the inside line round the final corner to just pip the rookie to the line and complete the comeback. From the back to the top, a rare club of winners to join.

Quiles’ second is a stunning first podium for the rookie, however, and Lunetta came back from his own drama. The Italian was given a Long Lap early on for irresponsible riding in an incident with Muñoz but came back from that to take P3.

Moto3 Race Results

1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo
2. Maximo Qulies CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team (+0.046s)
3. Luca Lunetta SIC58 Squadra Corse (+0.908s)
4. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo (+1.071s)
5. Valentin Perrone Red Bull KTM Tech3 (1.176s)

Moto3 Championship Points

1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo – 116
2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA – MT Helmets – 87
3. Joel Kelso LEVELUP – MTA – 77
4. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing – 61
5. Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia – 58

How Did the Aussies Do?

Having qualified sixth, Jack Miller banked some vital points with a ninth place in the Sprint to carry on his positive start to the weekend. The popular Aussie then backed this up by securing an excellent seventh in the main race, in what was a red-flag-interrupted bout, to end his round on a high note.

Senna Agius celebrated his maiden victory in Moto2 at the British GP at Silverstone following a superb ride, which saw him engage in a thrilling battle with Alonso and Canet before pulling off a brilliant move on the final lap to overtake the duelling pair to clinch the win. Agius fittingly marked the occasion with a classic shoey on the podium.

On the pace from the off at Silverstone, Joel Kelso qualified fourth in his quest for victory. Blasting off the line and immediately demonstrating race-winning pace in the Sunday showpiece, he led the field confidently to assert his authority. Unfortunately, a crash – likely triggered by the strong winds – cut his charge short while in contention to triumph, which was a massive disappointment for the youngster.

Jacob Roulstone made further positive strides with a strong P13 finish at Silverstone. While he mixed it up with the front group early on, the heavy winds saw him drop back late in the race. All in all, this was another promising weekend at the office for the talented Australian.

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