The Spanish GP at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto showcased some thrilling racing, as it has on many occasions in the past. From a surprise polesitter, to several key battles, to one crucial mistake from the hero. Álex Márquez, on the other hand, managed to secure his first premier class win and also solidified himself at the top of the championship standings. Join us as we review, session by session, the spectacle of the Spanish GP.

Read more: Spanish GP in Jerez kicks off European leg of the season

Marc Márquez drops the ball again

Marc Márquez has been almost untouchable this season, running ahead of everyone else, winning every sprint race and almost every Grand Prix, while also taking pole. However, he had a bit of a turbulent start to his weekend at Jerez when he lost pole position to Fabio Quartararo. This did not prove to be a big deal for the sprint race, as he overtook Quartararo in the early stages, causing him to crash out. Marc proceeded to comfortably cruise to a sprint victory.

On Sunday, however, it was a different story. Marc botched the start to the Grand Prix, causing him to fall behind Quartararo, his teammate Bagnaia and briefly his brother Álex Márquez. Marc soon recovered ground and started going aggressively back-and-forth with Pecco, but as fate would have it, Marc crashed out due to his own misjudgment. He rejoins and has incredibly fast pace after, but it isn’t enough and he finishes outside the points in P12.

Unbelievable scenes 🤯 🤯 @marcmarquez93 tried but could not save this one and crashed 💥#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/eP4fXZADZH

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 27, 2025

Marc has demonstrated two times already that he is his own worst enemy. When the going is good, no other rider has the ability to get even close to Marc, let alone overtake him. But when he makes mistakes, they usually cost him dearly, like losing the championship lead.

Álex Márquez clenches his maiden MotoGP victory

2025 is Álex Márquez’s 6th year of racing in the premier class of MotoGP. Yet, he had not won a single full-form race in the class. However, he changed this fact this weekend by taking the victory in the Jerez GP.

Ironically, Jerez was Álex’s worst qualification this season, as he started from P4 on the grid. He had a relatively uneventful sprint race, riding to a rather comfortable second place behind his older brother, as has been the pattern for the past five consecutive sprints.

However, in the GP, after Marc’s tumble, Álex saw a real opportunity and chased down Bagnaia and Quartararo from quite a way back. He got the upper hand on Bagnaia easily and struggled a bit to overtake Quartararo. But he did pull it off in the first turn of lap 11, and he maintained his position until the end of the race.

👊 @alexmarquez73 HITS THE FRONT! #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/Le9VNTqglV

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 27, 2025

This performance earned him a position at the top of the championship standings, 5 points over his older brother Marc, whose shadow Álex has been in for a long time. If Álex can keep up his consistency along with his ability to seize any opportunity presented to him, he might very well be Marc’s toughest competitor for the championship.

Fabio Quartararo surprises by putting the Yamaha on pole

The past few years have been difficult for Yamaha, especially for their star rider Fabio Quartararo. Fabio hit a bit of a dry streak after his championship in 2021, which was caused by the Yamaha motorcycle being leagues behind the dominant Ducati. But Yamaha has been making consistent strides, and especially thanks to the concessions given to them, they have been slowly developing a truly competitive bike again. And this fact was proven by Fabio when he put the Yamaha on pole for the first time in 1134 days since the 2022 Indonesian GP.

However, more credit should go to Quartararo than to Yamaha. Quartararo’s motorcycle still placed 21st out of 23 in the speed traps, i.e. it had the 3rd lowest top speed in qualifying. Because Jerez is a track with fewer straights, this fact did not play as big a role. However, on a straight-heavy track, the superior top speeds of the other motorcycles would absolutely crush the Yamaha.

Either way, this is a big positive for Yamaha. The manufacturer who struggled to even score points last season has already put a rider on the podium this season, after 560 days of waiting. However, they still have a long way to go, and their endeavours into V4 engine development are sure to help them in the journey back to the top.

Highlights of the Jerez GP

The following are some moments in the weekend that I consider particularly exciting :

• Marc’s overtake on Quartararo in the sprint
• Battle for 11th during the sprint between Binder, Ogura and Acosta
• First lap battle between teammates Marc and Pecco during the GP
• Battle for the lead between Alex and Quartararo during the GP
• Battle for 10th between Ogura and Miller during the GP

Championship Standings

This is what the championship standings look like after the Jerez GP :

Read more posts on MotoGP here.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

As the paddock heads into Spain for the first of four times this season, fans brace for a thrilling weekend which this circuit has delivered many times in history – from Rossi vs Gibernau in 2004, to Márquez vs Lorenzo in 2013, to Quartararo vs Márquez in 2020. Join us as we go over everything you need to know before the lights go out in Jerez.

Read more : Marc Márquez back on top

Bagnaia seeks to usurp Marc’s throne

Jerez is the first circuit so far where Bagnaia’s proficiency level is comparable to, if not more than Marc Márquez. Bagnaia has consecutively won the previous three Spanish GPs, from 2022 to 2024. In fact, he also holds the records for best pole time and best race lap.

Another factor which works in Bagnaia’s favour is his consistency. So far, he has not had a single incident this season. And while his performance is not as stellar as it used to be in 2023 or 2024, he has consistently been on the podium for pretty much every race or sprint. If he keeps up this consistency on tracks where Marc is stronger, but still manages to gain an upper hand on him on the tracks where Marc is weaker, he could still be a serious championship contender.

Márquez seeks to end Jerez dry spell

Marc Márquez has also won a grand total of three GPs at Jerez in his time. However, most of his wins here were earlier in his career, i.e. in 2014, 2018 and 2019. He has not won a GP in Jerez since 2019. And while he did secure a respectable second place last year, Jerez is definitely not his best circuit.

However, Marc is currently running ahead with the momentum of a bullet train. If he just keeps doing what he is doing, he will be untouchable. But he must be aware a more proficient rider like Bagnaia will be on his tail, praying for him to make any little mistake.

Jorge Martin sitting this one out

Absolute heartbreak 💔

Sending our best wishes to our Champ @88jorgemartin on his recovery after this one 🦾

📋 The final medical check showed six fractures on the right posterior arches and he will remain under observation at the hospital until the pneumothorax resolves. pic.twitter.com/lq9ATFIJgL

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 14, 2025

The 2025 season has not been forgiving to Martin. First, his pre-season testing crash forced him to sit out the first three races to the season. Following the unfortunate beginning to the season for Martin, he returned to racing in Qatar. However, in his first GP of the season, the defending world champion crashed out again and injured himself quite seriously, fracturing six ribs. Because of this, he will be sitting out the Spanish GP as well.

Yamaha to abandons their signature I4 engine, switches to V4 in private testing

The Yamaha M1 – following the departure of Suzuki in 2022 – is the only motorcycle remaining on the grid which still runs an inline 4 engine rather than the dominant V4. And Yamaha’s star riders, including Fabio Quartararo, have been trying to persuade Yamaha to switch. It appears that Yamaha is now finally conceding, as a V4 motorcycle was spotted at private testing in Valencia at the hands of Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez.

According to Quartararo, the recent testing is not just about the V4 engine but integrating the engine with other components of the bike in the most optimal way – “[…] it’s not about performance. It’s about seeing that everything is working – they are checking a lot.”

Schedule and Where to Watch

All MotoGP sessions can be watched in India on Fancode (digital) or on Eurosport (TV broadcast).

Following is the complete schedule of the MotoGP race weekend in IST:

Desi Racing Co is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

Under the dazzling floodlights of the Lusail International Circuit, the Qatar Grand Prix turned out to be one of the most eventful races in recent memory, from Marc Márquez reviving his winning streak to several crashes amongst riders, and also some dark horses who made it all the way to the podium before being penalised. Join us as we review, session by session, the spectacle of the Qatar GP.

Read More: Can Márquez maintain dominance as defending champion returns?

Marc Márquez revives his winning streak…

After a major incident at COTA last weekend which caused Marc to lose out on three trebles i.e. pole, sprint win and race win, Marc Márquez came into Qatar determined to reclaim his throne, and he was successful in that endeavor. Marc qualified in pole position at Lusail, and had a rater uneventful sprint race, getting ahead of the pack on the first lap and staying there until the end.

However, the Grand Prix was a different story. Going into the first turn after the race started, Marc was run into from behind by his younger brother Alex, which caused damage to Marc’s tail aero. Also because of this, Marc lost his position to Franco Morbidelli, who led the race for a decent amount of time, before being overtaken by a dark horse in Maverick Viñales. After Marc chased Viñales down for a few laps, he finally managed to regain his position and finish victorious.

…and Alex Márquez loses his runner-up streak

While the weekend was generous to Marc, it was nothing short of unfortunate for younger brother Alex. While he was leading the championship by one point going into the weekend, things looked bright for him on Saturday as he qualified in P2 right behind his brother, and he finished the sprint race in P2 again, behind his brother. This was his fourth consecutive sprint P2 in this season alone.

Sparks flew between @alexmarquez73 & @fabiodiggia49! The Spaniard was then handed a Long Lap Penalty💥#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/g39OGmDlpz

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 13, 2025

It was anyone’s guess that Alex would replicate the same pattern in the Grand Prix as well, but Sunday was not kind to Alex. In the very first turn, he crashed into his brother, which caused damage to his front aero and caused him to fall back a few places. He could have recovered if he had not made an aggressive move against Fabio DiGiannantonio, which caused him to run DiGia off the track while going wide himself. This also caused him to suffer a long lap penalty, which placed him as far back as P11. He did recover towards the end and finished in P6, but he could have done a lot better.

Jorge Martin’s turbulent Aprilia debut

Absolute heartbreak 💔

Sending our best wishes to our Champ @88jorgemartin on his recovery after this one 🦾

📋 The final medical check showed six fractures on the right posterior arches and he will remain under observation at the hospital until the pneumothorax resolves. pic.twitter.com/lq9ATFIJgL

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 14, 2025

After the injuries Martin sustained in pre-season testing, he was out of contention for the first three weekends. Even though he was cleared by medical officials for the Qatar GP, it was evident that he was not in his best physical state. He didn’t even make it to Q2 and qualified P14 on the grid.

During the sprint, he did tussle a bit with his arch-nemesis Bagnaia but was quickly overpowered. He finished P16 in the sprint. However, during the 10th lap of the race, Martin lost control of his motorcycle and crashed out of the race. Martin fractured six ribs in the incident. This incident is sure to end any wild chance of Martin being a world championship contender this season.

Maverick Viñales’ rise and fall

In Qatar, it appeared like Maverick had finally found his footing with the KTM. He had struggled a lot with the motorcycle this season, and surprisingly, he qualified on the front row, putting the bike just behind the Márquez brothers.

In the sprint race, he had a botched start, but he finished the race without anything of note in P10. However, he truly shone in the Grand Prix, where he nailed the start, managing to stay in the leading pack amidst the chaos and rise all the way to the top by the 10th lap. Here, the only one challenging him was Márquez, who Maverick did hold off very well until the 15th lap when Marc overtook him. From here, Maverick battled with Bagnaia and defended against him until the very end.

🚨BREAKING🚨 Maverick Viñales demoted to P14 after receiving a 16-second penalty due to low tyre pressure#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/67WSkClT1L

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 13, 2025

However, it all came down on Viñales after he was imposed with a 16-second penalty for his tire pressure being too low for too long. Essentially, the controversial tire pressure rule states that a rider has to keep his tire pressure over 1.82 bar for at least 60% of the race. This penalty caused Viñales to lose his podium position and drop down all the way to P14.

Highlights of the Qatar GP

Following are some moments in the weekend that I consider particularly exciting :

• Ogura’s overtake on Bagnaia in the sprint for P10
• Last lap battle for P4 in the Sprint between Quartararo, Aldegeur and Di Giannantonio
• First-corner chaos in the Grand Prix
• Alex and Pedro Acosta battle for 7th place in the GP
• Viñales’ battle with Marc Márquez

Championship Standings

This is what the championship standings look like after the Qatar GP :

Read more posts on MotoGP here.

Desi Racing Co is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.