MotoGP Round 4 2025 Report | Marc Marquez victorious again | The Championship leader eventually got the better of Maverick Vinales, but a post-race tyre pressure penalty for the #12 saw Morbidelli promoted to the podium in what was a captivating race in Qatar. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

Friday at Qatar belonged to a very fast Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #21) after a late lap saw the Italian oust compatriot Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #63) under the night lights at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar. Marc Marquez (#93) ensured two Ducati Lenovo Team machines were in the top three, as World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing #1) made his much-anticipated return to MotoGP action – and thankfully, it was a trouble-free day for the #1.

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Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) continued his run of qualifying supremacy with a new lap record pole position at Lusail, putting in a 1:50.499 on his final push to deny Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) by just a tenth.

In third was a stunning performance from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20) as Yamaha got back on the front row for the first time since 2022, meanwhile fortunes reversed for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the #63 found himself down in P11 after sliding out on his second run.

The second row featured Friday’s fastest Morbidelli, who was just ahead of Marc on track to improve late on, pipping teammate Di Giannantonio. Then came another serious standout performer, as Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #12) made it three manufacturers on the front two rows of the grid in sixth.

Moto2

Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP #18) snatched top spot with a late lap in Moto2 Practice, seeing the Spaniard back at the summit after an Americas GP to forget. Gonzalez rocketed to P1 to finish ahead of Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO #44) who was also able to move up to take P2. Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team #27) was P1 going into the final five minutes before being relegated to P3. He still managed to come away with one of his best results of his rookie season. Completing the top four was Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo #53), who improved to be just less than a tenth away from top spot.

Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) earned pole for the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, taking to the top by a tenth and a half to deny key rival Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96) as the Brit was forced to settle for second. The two have been duelling it out so far in 2025, and it looked like Doha would be no different. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) completed a front row of familiar names, as he hoped to kickstart his 2025 title charge.

Moto3

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo #99) shone under the lights of Lusail on Friday to lay an early Moto3 gauntlet down. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #6) was the championship leader’s closest challenger in P2, the gap between the Spaniard and Japanese riders sitting at 0.244s, as Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) completed the top three.

Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) took a first pole position at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, pipping Joel Kelso (LEVELUP- MTA #66) by just 0.041. Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made up the front row as the grid set up for a stunner.

Behind that top three, Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team #54) sat fourth and just ahead of Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #36), with rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo #83) completing the second row.

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

The scintillating 2025 Saturday streak kept up for Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the #93 secured a pole position and Tissot Sprint double at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar to wrestle back the championship lead from second-place finisher Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). The bronze medal went the way of Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), as fellow Italian Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) evening ended with a disappointing P8.

The top three on the grid all launched off the line very well, but it was polesitter Marc Marquez who grabbed the holeshot ahead of Alex Marquez and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Morbidelli and Fermin Aldeguer (#54) exchanged P4 at Turn 4, before the rookie got a little bit beaten up as Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol #5) forced their way through.

Meanwhile, at the end of the first lap, Bagnaia’s progress was P11 to P8. Not bad, but the Italian needed more. At the front, Alex got the better of Marc at Turn 1 on Lap 2, but the red corner bit straight back. And what were we saying about Pecco needing more? That’s exactly the opposite of what happened on Lap 2.

First Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37), then Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #79) and then 2023 and 2024 title rival, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), were ahead of Bagnaia. What was going on with the #63?

At the front, Marc continued to lead Alex, with the gap between the two hovering around the 0.3s mark. Morbidelli was third, 0.7s further back, with Quartararo 0.3s away from his former teammate in P4. Viñales was well in touch in P5, as a mistake from Zarco cost the Frenchman a place to Aldeguer on Lap 4 of 11.

A fastest lap of the race was then set by Marc Marquez, seeing his lead stretch to 0.5s, but Alex Marquez responded with his personal best lap on the next lap to maintain that half a second. Elsewhere, Aldeguer was flying. The Gresini rider quickly reeled in Viñales and made a move stick with five laps left, with Bagnaia still outside of the points in P11. That was then P10 as Zarco lost more ground after running wide at the final corner, with Bagnaia now facing Acosta and Ogura.

Three laps to go. Marc Marquez was now 1.2s up the road and looked set to keep his 100% Sprint record, while Morbidelli was keeping Quartararo half a second behind him. Bagnaia passed Acosta at Turn 4 to climb into P9 – in other words, a point-scoring position.

Last lap time! The victory fight seemed over, but the podium battle certainly wasn’t. Morbidelli’s margin had disappeared as Quartararo and Aldeguer swarmed. Could they do anything to pinch a podium from the Italian? Not quite. A small error at the final corner saw Quartararo hand Aldeguer a free pass into P4, but for the fourth Grand Prix in a row, Marc Marquez doubled up on a Saturday. Alex Marquez’s P2 run continued, and Morbidelli did just about hold onto a bronze medal. Aldeguer’s mid to late Sprint pace was nothing short of sensational as the rookie bagged a very impressive P4, with Quartararo backing up his front row with a hard-earned P5.

“At the moment we keep the same performance as the first part of the season. I’m riding in a very good way, and in the Sprint I was super consistent controlling the gap, and then in the last two laps, I slowed down. I feel very good with the bike, and tomorrow let’s see if we can improve very small things for the race distance, but the feeling [today] was great,” Marquez explained.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+1.577s)
3. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+3.988s)
4. Fermin Aldeguer BK8 Gresini Ducati (+4.369s)
5. Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha (+4.593s)

Sunday
MotoGP

The double in Doha – who’d have thought it? Some might, but not Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). However, that’s exactly how it unfolded for the #93 as a frantic MotoGP battle played out in a Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar that saw Maverick Viñales clinch a first podium in Red Bull KTM Tech3 colours – or so we thought. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) recovered to P3 at the line after a dissatisfying Saturday, as drama unfolded for Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who was forced to settle for P7, which was then P6.

Why? Because after a tyre pressure penalty for Viñales post-race, most of the points scorers were promoted one position. It saw Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) elevated to P3 – and, of course, Bagnaia to P2. Those +16s demoted Viñales to P14.

Marc Marquez was the rider to earn the holeshot into Turn 1, but as the field exited the opening corner, contact was made between the #93 and Alex Marquez, with a piece of bodywork pinging off the rear end of the red machine. This allowed Morbidelli to take the lead into Turn 2 as Viñales made life harder for Alex Marquez. Top Gun was P3 through the fast Turn 3, but fair play to Marquez, as he bit back to get behind his older brother once more.

Morbidelli’s lead was up to 0.8s at the beginning of Lap 3, as Bagnaia made a decent start. The Americas GP winner was up to sixth before more contact! Alex Marquez was trying to muscle his way back past Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49) into Turn 12 but he misjudged it. Both went wide, with Marquez dropping to P7 and the luckless Di Giannantonio being forced back to P21. And for the incident, Alex Marquez was handed a Long Lap penalty.

Viñales’ P2 result is a huge boost for KTM – what a ride from Top Gun in Doha… but a post-race tyre pressure penalty for the #12 saw Morbidelli promoted to the podium…

Meanwhile, Bagnaia was on the move. On the anchors heading into Turn 1 on Lap 5, Bagnaia breezed past Marc Marquez to climb into second place. That meant the championship leader was third, Viñales was fourth, Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol) was running in P5 with Fermin Aldeguer and BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP teammate Marquez in P6 and P7.

On Lap 6, Marquez completed his Long Lap penalty. The #73 went from P6 to P12, 4.9s away from Morbidelli. At the front, Marc Marquez forced his way back through on Bagnaia for P2 with 16 laps left. And right behind them, Viñales set the fastest lap of the race as Morbidelli’s lead continued to shrink. What were we saying about Viñales? At the end of Lap 7, the #12 passed Bagnaia for P3 and then set his sights on Marquez.

And with 13 laps to go, Viñales got the better of his second factory Ducati. This was stunning from the Tech3 star, and a lap later, he led. Same spot, same outcome. Morbidelli lost the lead for the first time, and Marquez powered past the Italian as well. Bagnaia was then desperate to pass Morbidelli as the VR46 Academy duo swapped positions five times on Lap 11 of 22, but it cost the pair crucial ground. Over the line, Bagnaia was 0.9s behind Marquez.

Zarco was the next rider to get the better of Morbidelli as the Frenchman grabbed P4, and the Italian started to immediately lose ground. With eight laps to go, Viñales was still holding Marquez at bay, with Pecco 0.8s behind the top two. Then, a mistake. Viñales was wide at Turn 6 and that opened the door for Marquez to take the race lead with seven laps to go, so what could Viñales and Pecco do?

The answer, for now, was not a lot. Marquez was the fastest of the trio, but only by a tenth over Bagnaia. However, Viñales was 0.3s slower than Marquez on Lap 17, so was this the KTM star beginning to run out of grip and steam? It wasn’t – it was Marquez finding pace. The fastest lap of the race was landed by the six-time MotoGP World Champion – it was two tenths quicker than Viñales and seven tenths faster than Pecco.

Three to go. Another fastest lap of the race for Marquez saw the #93 stretch his lead up to a second, as Bagnaia slipped 1.4s behind Viñales. And heading onto the last lap, it was as you were. Marquez led Viñales by 1.5s, Bagnaia was in a comfortable third, and sure enough, as the chequered flag waved, Marc Marquez bounced back from his Austin disappointment with an almighty bang. And with it, strengthened his championship position ahead of a date with Jerez.

Viñales’ P2 result is a huge boost for KTM – what a ride from Top Gun in Doha. Bagnaia will be disappointed to lose ground in the title chase, but after a below-par Saturday, a comeback ride to P3 was a job well done by the Italian.

Morbidelli did fight back in the end to earn P4 across the line, but as mentioned, that’s now P3 as Zarco held off the efforts of Aldeguer to earn a career-best Honda result in P4, while the latter earned his best Grand Prix result in MotoGP with a P5. Alex Marquez’s recovery ended with a P6, a top effort to get back there from the Spaniard, but that’s the run of P2s and podiums over.

“I needed to manage the front tyres, so for that reason in the first part of the race I was quiet,” Marquez reflected.“Morbidelli was going [ahead], but I predicted or I understood yesterday with the rhythms that he would not be fast in the second part of the race. Big surprise when Maverick overtook me. I thought it was Acosta because normally he is the fastest on KTM. He was super-fast, but I had that margin for the end. Victory in Qatar is amazing.”

MotoGP Race Results

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
2. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+4.535s)
3. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+6.495s)
4. Johann Zarco Castrol Honda LCR (+6.668s)
5. Fermin Aldeguer BK8 Gresini Ducati (+7.484s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 123
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati – 106
3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 97
4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 78
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 48

Moto2

The best win of his career? Surely the answer is yes. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) completed a stunning comeback ride to claim a first victory of the season, and with it, the Moto2 World Championship lead. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) finished P2 and P3 in Qatar, as Argentina and USA winner Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out of the race.

Gonzalez got the getaway he would have wanted from pole, with Dixon also launching well from the middle of the front row – but it was a disastrous start for Aron Canet (Fantic Racing). A big wheelie as the lights went out saw the Spaniard go from third down to P14 on Lap 1, as Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) made a rapid start – the rookie was P3 on Lap 1.

Canet’s climb back through the pack was impressive. The #44 was up to P5 on Lap 7, ahead of Gonzalez, as Öncü still led the pack that were locked together in the victory battle. That was then P2 with eight laps to go, as teammate Barry Baltus (#7) set the fastest lap of the race to cling onto the back of the top seven. Then, it was the top six because title race leader Dixon crashed at Turn 13 as he tried to chase down Gonzlaez. Not the night the #96 was searching for in Lusail.

With five laps to go, Canet hit the front for the first time after a small mistake from Öncü handed the Spaniard the lead, and from there, Canet began to stretch his legs. Heading onto the final lap, Canet was 1.1s clear of Öncü who in turn was doing a great job to keep Gonzalez behind him. And that’s how it stayed. A classy Canet comeback ride saw him clinch a first win of the season and the World Championship lead heading to Jerez, as Öncü grabbed a first podium of the year to finish ahead of third place Gonzalez. Rookie Holgado finished 2.7s away from the podium in P4, a fantastic effort from the #27, as Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #10) beat Baltus in the P5 battle.

Moto2 Race Results

1. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO
2. Deniz Oncu Red Bull KTM Ajo (+1.103s)
3. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (+1.286s)
4. Daniel Holgado CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team (+4.021s)
5. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team (+5.892s)

Moto2 Championship Points

1. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 71
2. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 61
3. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing – 59
4. Daniel Holgado CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team – 36
5. Marcos Ramirez OnlyFans American Racing Team – 35

Moto3

Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) is the new Moto3 Championship leader after defeating Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) on the drag to the line in Doha, with the duo split by just 0.009. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) completed the podium for his second GP rostrum from a maiden pole position, with drama hitting late on for Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as a technical problem dropped him out of the fight for the win.

Yamanaka grabbed the holeshot and there wasn’t too much drama at the start, with the freight train forming from the off. But the penalty notifications came in quickly for those with Long Laps to serve – one for Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and two for rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – dropping them down the order, and a crash for Dennis Foggia (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team #71) that saw him tag David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP #64) took them out of the front group, Foggia out of the race and Muñoz dropped down the order.

At the front, it became a leading quartet of Yamanaka, Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA), Rueda and Piqueras, with a gap back to David Almansa (Leopard Racing #22) heading the fight for the top five. It closed up again as the laps ticked down though, and Almansa slid out of contention, leaving six riders battling before Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team) faded from the group to make it five.

Just before the final lap, huge drama suddenly hit in the title chase as Rueda sat up. The former championship leader had a mechanical and was out of the fight, leaving four riders to fight for three places on the podium. As ever at Lusail, the chopping and changing went right to the wire. At Turn 14 on the last lap, Furusato took over in front as he decided to be the defender at the final corner, and defend he did – but maybe too much.

The #72 stayed well on the inside and was ahead on the exit too, but Piqueras got the hammer down and just beat him to the line by 0.009. Furusato just missed out on that maiden win, but Piqueras made a 25-point gain on Rueda to just take over as the championship leader. Yamanaka fended off Kelso to follow up a maiden pole with a second-ever podium. Kelso was forced to settle for fourth this time round, ahead of Rossi and an impressive comeback from Muñoz after getting forced wide by Foggia’s crash.

Moto3 Race Results

1. Angel Piqueras FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI
2. Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia (+0.009s)
3. Ryusei Yamanaka FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (+0.042s)
4. Joel Kelso LEVELUP – MTA (+0.097s)
5. Riccardo Rossi Rivacold Snipers Team (+7.295s)

Moto3 Championship Points

1. Angel Piqueras FRINSA – MT Helmets – 67
2. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo – 66
3. Joel Kelso LEVELUP – MTA – 41
4. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing – 40
5. Matteo Bertelle LEVELUP – MTA – 40

How Did the Aussies Do?

It was a challenging weekend for Jack Miller in Qatar, with tyre issues and a crash in the race ensuring it was a round to forget for the Aussie. Aussie flyer Joel Kelso enjoyed an excellent showing in Losail, as not only did he clinch P2 in qualifying, but he also went on to produce a fine display to cross the line in fourth. Forced to do three Long Lap penalties in Qatar, mustering 14th was a reasonable result in the trying circumstances by Senna Agius. On his return to racing following injury, Jacob Roulstone claimed a respectable 14th in the hugely demanding Moto3 class.

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #63) is a Grand Prix winner in 2025 after an immensely dramatic Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas unfolded on a Sunday afternoon that saw COTA King, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team #93), crash out of the lead. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

With another P2 finish, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) became the new MotoGP title chase leader, as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49) completed the podium in an absolutely unforgettable Round 3.

Read our MotoGP reports here...

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying

MotoGP

Starting wet, finishing dry and with a flurry of action, Friday afternoon’s MotoGP™ Practice at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas was a real treat. With rain easing off after a lunch time shower, we got the fastest times of the weekend thus far, resulting in Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) setting a 2.09:929 to set the only time in the 2.02 bracket of the day, holding off Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team pairing Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli (#21) behind.

Qualifying for MotoGP™ at the Circuit of the Americas was a rollercoaster, with history made and some late shuffles changing the front row once and then again. Having topped Friday afternoon and Saturday morning action, COTA master Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) remained the rider to beat with his eighth pole at the circuit though, and that’s a new record for poles at one track in MotoGP.

Behind Marc Marquez was Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Bagnaia.

Moto2

Days at the office don’t get much better than that if your name is Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96). P1 in FP1 was backed up by a dominant P1 in Practice to see the British rider sail into Saturday as the rider to beat in Moto2 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, as Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 #14) and Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun #21) pocketed P2 and P3 on Friday.

It’s one win apiece in Moto2 this season for Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Intact GP #18) and key rival Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), but the former’s made a clean sweep of qualifying so far. Dixon turned the tables in Texas to take his first pole of the year though, and it was Gonzalez he denied to set up another showdown – the #18 even heading through Q1 too.

Third went to Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO #7) as he took his first front row. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO #44) slotted into fifth ahead of a huge step forward in Moto2 qualifying for Alonso.

Moto3

Practice for the Moto3™ World Championship saw a familiar name on top as Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA #18) continued his prowess from the opening two Grands Prix. In a session that was once again wet, he led a very fast rookie in Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team #28), whilst Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power #19) was P3.

David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP #64) put in a late charge to pole position at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, denying rookie sensation Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) an unbelievable debut pole by just 0.110. Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA #66) completes the front row, having come from Q1.

Saturday

Tissot Sprint

Stateside Tissot Sprint glory went the way of Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) – but not without a decent slice of drama and fireworks thrown in along the way. The #93 eventually beat Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) by less than a second in Austin to keep up his 100% victory record in 2025, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – after leading on the first lap – brought home a bronze medal to set things up beautifully for Sunday.

Without any shadow of a doubt, the opening lap of the Sprint was the best lap of the season – and it’ll take some beating too. Bagnaia, from P6, launched away superbly to grab the holeshot up the hill into Turn 1. Marc Marquez bit straight back at Turn 2 to retake the lead from his teammate, but at Turn 3, it was Pecco doing the overtaking again. It didn’t take long before Marquez decided to pounce back though, Turn 7 his chosen spot.

So it was Marc Marquez leading Bagnaia and Alex Marquez. But at Turn 17, the #93’s Sprint very nearly came to a premature end. An almighty rear-end slide led to the six-time MotoGP Champion getting thrown out of the saddle, which cost the Championship leader P1 and P2. Thought we were done? Nope. Bagnaia and the Marquez brothers were locked together on the exit of Turn 19 and into Turn 20, the final corner, Marc Marquez passed both to retake the lead, with Alex Marquez slotting into P2. That’s worth several rewatches.

That was some opening lap. But after hitting the front again and getting into a rhythm, Marc Marquez started to build a gap to Alex Marquez. It was 0.6s on Lap 3, as Bagnaia lost touch with the top two. The Italian had Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20) swarming all over his rear tyre before the Frenchman had a huge moment on entry to Turn 15, which allowed Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) to slide through. Now, Quartararo was in a VR46 sandwich, with Fabio Di Giannantonio sitting in P6.

On Lap 5 of 10, Marc Marquez’s advantage had shrunk from just under a second to 0.4s. That did rise back up to 0.6s on the next lap though, as Pecco found pace. But was it too late to lock onto the rear end of Alex Marquez?

Meanwhile, a ferocious battle was unfolding between the two VR46 Ducatis and Quartararo. The trio exchanged fourth with four laps to go as the Yamaha star dug deep to try and cling onto a chance of finishing P4 – and what a job he was doing.

With two laps to go, Marc Marquez’s lead was up to 1.4s, while Alex Marquez was still holding Bagnaia at bay by just over a second. However, heading onto the last lap, Alex had reeled in Marc. It was 0.7s over the line, so could anything be done by the younger Marquez to end his brother’s early season momentum?

The answer was no. Marc Marquez held firm to pick up his third Tissot Sprint win on the bounce, with Alex Marquez continuing his P2 streak. Bagnaia claimed an important P3, just under two seconds away from his teammate, but the 2022 and 2023 MotoGP World Champion would be wanting more in Sunday’s Grand Prix despite being pleased with the result.

After a phenomenal mid-race scrap, Di Giannantonio won the fight for fourth, with Morbidelli keeping Quartararo behind him as the former teammates clinched P5 and P6 respectively – a top effort from the Yamaha star.

“That opening lap was too close,” Marquez commented. “The grip was worse, but it was a nice fight with Pecco and Alex. In the end I found my rhythm.”

Tissot Sprint Race Results

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+0.795s)
3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+1.918s)
4. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+8.536s)
5. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+9.685s)

Sunday

MotoGP

Talk about amplified drama. Rain before the start saw the riders face incredibly tricky conditions heading to the grid, as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) proved. The Frenchman crashed on his sighting lap, but managed to get back round to the grid, as we then saw something we very rarely see.

Just before the three-minute board was signalled, Marc Marquez dashed off the grid. This led to Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez and more following suit, with riders and team members sprinting down pit lane to grab the spare bikes that were fitted with slick tyres.

Some though, including Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol #10), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #33), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #79) and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #23), opted to gamble on slick tyres from the get-go and remained on the grid – along with some other riders. However, in the chaos, the red flags were thrown. Below, the reasoning from Race Director Mike Webb:

“We called for a delay and then quick start procedure due to safety concerns. Given the number of riders, bikes and pit staff on the grid and in the pit lane area, it was impossible to start the Warm Up lap. A new race start was the safest way to respond to the unprecedented circumstances at the start of the Grand Prix. We will analyse the situation together with the teams and revisit the regulations.”

After a brief pause in proceedings, the updated information was a 14:10 pit lane green light and a quick start procedure, with original grid positions to be occupied by every rider. Then, it was time to try again – every rider now on slicks. But again, there was drama. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #12) had to be wheeled off the grid before we finally got the Grand Prix underway.

Marc Marquez launched well and grabbed the holeshot, with Alex Marquez holding off Bagnaia into Turn 1. Pecco was trying to wriggle his way past the Gresini rider, first at Turn 11, then at Turn 12, but both attempts failed. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez built a 1.1s lead at the end of Lap 1, with the top four – Marquez, Marquez, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio – nearly two seconds up the road from Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team #43), who was enjoying a good battle with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).

A 2:02.466 from the #93 saw Marquez stretch his lead to 1.6s at the start of Lap 5, and then a 2:02.433 meant the gap was now up to the two-second mark. Meanwhile, further down the pack in the fantastic fight for P6, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 1.

Then, fancy another massive slice of drama? Because that’s what we got. Turn 4 was the place, and it was race leader Marc Marquez who was on the floor! The front end washed away as he clipped across the curb too far, hit a wet patch, and with that, the undefeated run was over. Marquez was able to remount in P18, but without a right foot peg, plus more damage to his GP25, there was no way back into the points for the #93 with both Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing #32) passing the six-time MotoGP Champion.

So where did that leave us? Bagnaia led Alex Marquez by 1.6s, with the latter 2.2s clear of Di Giannantonio. And on Lap 13, Marc Marquez called time on his 2025 Sunday outing at the Americas GP. The victory streak was officially over.

Meanwhile, the fastest rider on track was Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #54) and the rookie, with two laps left, bullied his way past Miller for P5. However, a fantastic ride then ended in the gravel trap at Turn 15, and at a similar time, Zarco’s impressive display ended at Turn 12.

Last lap time. Bagnaia simply had to bring it home, but 2.5s behind, Alex Marquez couldn’t relax as much. Diggia was prowling, a second split the two, so any slight error from the #73 could prove costly. In the end, it stayed as you were. Bagnaia bagged a massive 25 points to become the 10th rider in history to earn 30 MotoGP wins, as new World Championship leader, Alex Marquez, crossed the line in P2 for the sixth straight outing. Di Giannantonio’s efforts weren’t enough for P2, but nevertheless, a phenomenal P3 was pocketed for the Italian in Austin. Morbidelli came home in P4, with Miller grabbing his best Yamaha result with a very classy P5.

“It’s an incredible feeling, I’m very happy. It’s the first time I’ve won here at COTA,” Bagnaia said. “I know that the win came because of a crash for Marc. He was faster than us, faster than everybody else today. So I was just trying to match his pace as best as possible.”

MotoGP Race Results

1. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+2.089s)
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+3.594s)
4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+10.732s)
5. Jack Miller Pramac Yamaha (+11.857s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

1. Alex Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 87
2. Marc Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati – 86
3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 75
4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 55
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 44

Moto2

P1 on Friday, pole position on Saturday and P1 on Sunday. Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was simply unstoppable at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas as wet weather added an extra dose of spice to the Moto2 Grand Prix.

Just as the Moto3 race ended, the skies decided to sprinkle some water over COTA to add some pre-race drama to Moto2. But with the rain not heavy, some riders decided to chance it on slick tyres for the start – including World Championship leader Gonzalez. Dixon, the polesitter and Argentina GP winner, opted for Pirelli’s wet tyres.

And it proved to be the right decision for the Brit and most of the other riders. On Lap 8, Dixon lapped Gonzalez, the Spaniard’s teammate Senna Agius (#81) and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #10), who were all struggling to keep their Triumph-powered machines on the road.

With five laps left, Dixon grew his lead to six seconds over Arbolino, with Lopez four seconds behind the Italian. That gap dropped to 5.2s on the penultimate lap, but heading onto the final lap, it grew again to 5.5s. Meanwhile, chasing teammate Lopez for the final podium spot, Celestino Vietti (Team HDR Heidrun #13) crashed not once, but twice. Turn 12 the first and then eager to get back into the race, Turn 13 saw Vietti go down to end his points hopes altogether.

There were no such issues for Dixon though. A mixed conditions masterclass saw the #96 clinch a second consecutive victory and, with it, the Championship lead. Arbolino collected his first podium of the season, and so too did Lopez as Boscoscuros locked out the rostrum.

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) claimed an important points haul in P4, with Izan Guevara (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 #28) coming from P26 on the grid to bag a P5 – a tremendous ride from the Spaniard.

Moto2 Race Results

1. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing (Boscoscoro)
2. Tony Arbolino BLU CRU PramacYamaha Moto2 (+4.148s)
3. Alonso Lopez Team HDR Heidrun (+12.685s)
4. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO (+28.375s)
5. Izan Guevara BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (+30.290s)

Moto2 Championship Points

1. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing – 59
2. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 46
3. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 45
4. Alonso Lopez Team HDR Heidrun – 30
5. Tony Arbolino BLU CRU PramacYamaha Moto2 – 28

Moto3

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) put in another stunner at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, hitting the gas at the front and pulling a gap to take his second win of the year. Joel Kelso took his first dry weather podium in second, with LEVELUP – MTA teammate Matteo Bertelle completing the rostrum for his first Moto3 podium ever.

Off the line it was a stunning start for Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) and the debutant kept it pinned round the first lap too, leading his very first racing lap in the World Championship. The classic group fight at the front was in hot pursuit although it didn’t take long for some dramas to change the dynamic again.

David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was the first as he slid out of the lead group, suffering another tough race after starting on pole. Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) had some dramas too, the first of which was nearly not making it out of pitlane on time after a technical issue. He was allowed to leave to line up on the grid despite the red light because the green flag hadn’t been removed, but he was at the back. And then he jumped the start and got two Long Laps.

Meanwhile, Quiles led the first lap, but then came under attack, with Rueda making his way to the front and building a lead. By half race distance it was over two seconds, with Kelso and Bertelle in a duel in second and third. Then came Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #36), Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Quiles on the chase, before a much bigger gap back to a big group battle from seventh place down.

Rueda began the final lap with some breathing space in the lead, with Kelso also managing to make it a safe second ahead of teammate Bertelle, who finally took a podium after having also taken two poles to start the season but missed out on the rostrum. The fireworks came behind between Piqueras and Quiles, who had a spectacular last lap duel. Experience just won out as the #36 took fourth and a good chunk of points. Quiles debuts in the top five after a stunning weekend, with Carpe forced to settle for sixth.

Moto3 Race Results

1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo
2. Joel Kelso LEVELUP – MTA (+2.399s)
3. Matteo Bertelle LEVELUP – MTA (+4.200s)
4. Angel Piqueras FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (+5.345s)
5. Maximo Qulies CFMOTO Aspar Team (+5.522s)

Moto3 Championship Points

1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo – 66
2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA – MT Helmets – 42
3. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing – 40
4. Matteo Bertelle LEVELUP – MTA – 40
5. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo – 30

How Did the Aussies Do?

Jack Miller claimed his first top five finish of the 2025 campaign with an excellent ride in Texas. Cutting a delighted figure after the race, his words made for great reading. “It was a good day for us,” Miller explained. We had a solid pace throughout the entire race after a strong start, where I also managed to stay out of trouble at Turn 1.

“The bike was behaving well, and I was trying to get the maximum out of it. I really hope we can continue this trend. I‘m also very happy for the entire Prima Pramac Yamaha team. They work so hard every day to give me a great bike, and they deserve a day like this. The atmosphere is so amazing that it just makes me want to give them more and more.”

The unpredictable weather conditions ensured it was a tough one for Senna Agius, as the Australian went for slick tyres. While this move unfortunately didn’t pay off, the 19-year-old showed commendable maturity to bring it home safely in 23rd.

Joel Kelso had a race to remember as the young hotshot claimed a masterful second. Banking his first dry weather podium in fine style, in a race where he showed his skills, fight and racecraft, this was a fitting reward for an outstanding body of work.

“It’s been a long time between podiums! But I am so happy to finally be back up there. Thank you all for the support! Let’s keep the ball rolling,” an overjoyed Kelso insisted.