MotoGP

Argentine GP 2025 : Termas-terclass from the Márquez brothers

The Márquez brothers repeat 1-2 feat in Argentina, Marc achieves a historic 90th win.

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2025

Argentine GP 2025 : Termas-terclass from the Márquez brothers

The Argentine GP at Termas de Río Hondo showcased a thrilling sibling rivalry as the Márquez brothers repeated their 1-2 feat in qualifying, the sprint race as well as the grand prix. This victory not only extended Marc’s unbeaten streak this season but also solidified the brothers’ dominance in the championship standings. Join us as we review, session by session, the spectacle of the Argentine GP.

Marc Márquez continues dominating, breaks long-standing records

Marc Marquez takes the chequered flag at the Argentine GP 2025. — Marc Márquez crosses the finish line after the GP victory. Credit: motogp.com

Just like the season opener in Buriram, Marc Márquez snatched the triple again – he got pole position in qualifying, victory in the sprint race and victory in the Grand Prix. Most impressively, however, over the course of the weekend, Marc Márquez set four new all-time lap records – one during Practice on Friday and the other three during Q2 on Saturday. He beat his own all-time lap record at this track which he had set back in 2014.

During the sprint race, Marc cruised to a rather comfortable victory. He had a good start off the line, and though he was initially pressured by his brother, he was able to break off in the latter stages, taking the chequered flag 0.903s ahead of Alex.

The race, however, was a completely different story. On the third lap, Marc made a mistake and ran wide, allowing his brother to take the lead. He had to spend a good chunk of the race battling against his own brother and was able to retake the lead on the 20th lap and cruise to a victory.

As tense as it gets! @marcmarquez93 takes the lead with 5 laps remaining 🚨#ArgentinaGP 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/xFZ805yNJr
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 16, 2025

This victory is Marc’s 90th in all of GP racing combined, and he has equalled Ángel Nieto’s record, taking the third place for most victories in GP racing combined, standing just behind legends like Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini.

Alex Márquez gives his brother a tough time

Alex Márquez qualified just behind Marc in P2. However, he was on Marc’s tail throughout the sprint. In the Grand Prix, Alex took the lead after Marc made a mistake on the third lap, and he held on to the lead for a good part of 15 laps. He was consistently keeping up his pace with Marc’s, even though Marc was breaking records. Overall, Alex had a stellar weekend in Argentina.

Johann Zarco surprises on the Honda

Johann Zarco is certainly not the most technically skilled rider on the grid, nor is he on the best motorcycle by any metric. However, he had a surprising performance in Argentina, to say the least. He took P3 in qualifying just behind the Márquez brothers, even though the Honda lacks the straight-line speed of the Ducatis. He had an amazing sprint, finishing in P4. He had a nothing short of astounding race as well, keeping his position cemented against challengers, and consistently staying on Pecco’s tail, ultimately finishing in P6.

It is hard to imagine that not too long ago, Honda was running at the very back of the field, struggling to make points, and now, they’re putting bikes on the front row and finishing in the top 5.

Morbidelli makes his comeback in the race

The past few years have been tough for Franco Morbidelli. He was the runner-up in the 2020 MotoGP championship standings, but has since struggled, first with the bike, and then with his health. In these four years, Morbidelli has had multiple crashes and injuries, each one degrading his performance more and more. However, in the Argentine GP, even though he started the race from eighth on the grid, he worked his way up to P3, getting a podium finish. This was his first podium since Jerez in 2021, 1414 days ago.

KTM continue on a downward spiral

Not too long ago, it appeared that the only manufacturer who could challenge Ducati’s dominance in the sport was KTM. So naturally, going into the 2025 season, fans had great expectations from them. However, so far, their performance has been underwhelming, to say the least. In the sprint, Acosta was their best rider, finishing P9 after Binder crashed out. In the race, Binder finished P7, with Acosta right behind in P8. However, the Tech3 crew is still lurking at the very bottom of the rankings. Even the factory crew was beaten by Zarco’s Honda during the race, and both Zarco and Mir on the Honda and Bezzecchi on the Aprilia during the sprint.

KTM needs to find their groove again, or they will be in threat of being overtaken by manufacturers like Aprilia and Honda.

Ai Ogura disqualified for inexplicable infringement

⚠️ @AiOgura79 crossed the line in P8 and was then disqualified from the Grand Prix for using a version of software not homologated by the Championship#ArgentinaGP 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/P7UUlHf7vQ
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 16, 2025

The rookie Ai Ogura had a mixed weekend in Argentina. Due to a crash during qualifying, he started P15 on the grid. He wasn’t able to do much in the sprint, but turned things around in the race, going all the way up to P8, and finishing ahead of Acosta. However, he was stripped of his result after his Trackhouse Racing Aprilia RS-GP was found to be running a “non-homologated software” on the ECU. It is unclear as to how this happened, as MotoGP has been running spec ECU software for the whole grid since 2016.

Highlights of the Argentine GP

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

Early battle for 3rd in sprint between FB63, PA37 and FQ20
Crash between FA54 and MO88 during the sprint
Battle for 3rd between FB63 and FM21 in the Grand Prix
Four-way battle for 7th in the Grand Prix between FD49, JM36, AO79 and PA37
Late-stage battle between MM93 and AM73 in the Grand Prix

Championship Standing

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

MotoGP

MotoGP 2025 : Spanish GP in Jerez kicks off European leg of the season

The championship battle intensifies as MotoGP heads into its first European round held at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain.

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2025

Sayujya Apte

MotoGP 2025 : Spanish GP in Jerez kicks off European leg of the season

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.

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:

MotoGP

MotoGP Qatar 2025 : Marc Márquez back on top

Marc Márquez regains his position on the top of the standings, while a just-recovered Martin injures himself severely.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 15, 2025

Sayujya Apte

Marc Marquez celebrates after winning the Sprint Race

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.

Marc Márquez revives his winning streak…

Marc Marquez leads his brother Alex Marquez in Saturday's sprint race. — Marc Marquez leads his brother Alex Marquez in Saturday’s sprint race – Photo – MotoGP

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

MotoGP Qatar 2025 : Marc Márquez back on top — Alex and DiGia moments before the crash. Credit: MotoGP.com

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 :

MotoGP

MotoGP Qatar 2025 : Can Márquez maintain dominance as defending champion returns?

After a fumble from Marc Márquez in the previous race, he seeks to reclaim the championship lead in Qatar. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin returns to MotoGP.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 11, 2025

Sayujya Apte

MotoGP Qatar 2025 : Can Márquez maintain dominance as defending champion returns?

This weekend, the MotoGP paddock returns to the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. This is the only nighttime race in the MotoGP calendar, and the over a kilometer long main straight track gives way to some of the most exciting racing. Join us as we go over everything you need to know before the lights go out in Qatar.

Can Marc Márquez recover from his fumble at COTA?

Marc Márquez had the perfect start to his 2025 season, winning back to back trebles (pole, sprint victory and GP victory) for the first two races, and only missing the GP win in the third. While his accident in COTA caused him to lose the championship lead to his brother, the gap between the two is of a mere single point, and Marc must surely seek to get back on top.

However, Marc does not have the most dominant record at Lusail. He has only won the race one time in his sophomore season in 2014, and has only five podiums in his 13 year career. Marc himself admits “It’s the first circuit that theoretically Alex and Pecco are better than me, by the historic results”.

An instant classic as @AndreaDovizioso beat @marcmarquez93 by just 0.320s! ⚔️🔥#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/uAtzlTjxpE
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 9, 2025

However, Marc being Marc has demonstrated his proficiency at the circuit on multiple occasions, including his legendary battle with Andrea Dovizioso in 2019. Also, Marc undoubtedly has momentum from the beginning of the season, and if he can carry it over into Qatar, the weekend is a sealed deal for him.

Will Alex let his younger brother back on top?

Alex Márquez is giving his older brother a run for his money, as he has consistently been P2 in all the sprints and GPs so far. He is also currently leading the championship standings being one point ahead of Marc. As it stands, Alex is in a good position to be extending his own lead, if he can fend off his brother. It will not be easy for him in the long term, however, Qatar is a circuit where Marc is not the best, and this is a great opportunity for Alex to gain some ground on him.

The Martinator is back

CONFIRMED: @88jorgemartin has been declared FIT ✅#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/vIBHV4QehE
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 10, 2025

After breaking his right hand and left foot during Day 1 of testing at Sepang, the defending world champion Jorge Martin had to undergo multiple surgeries. This forced him to sit out the first three races of the season, and miss out on his debut on the Aprilia. However, he is returning to the grid this weekend.

This is sure to be bittersweet for Martin, as having missed the first three races of the season puts him at a severe disadvantage championship-wise, but on the other hand, the Aprilia riders, especially rookie Ai Ogura have demonstrated the capabilities of the motorcycle are far beyond what we assumed. Also, Martin holds the all time lap record at the Lusail International Circuit, and also won the sprint race there in 2024.

In the end, the question remains – will Martin be able to be a serious title contender this year?

Aprilia and KTM seek to improve through private testing

KTM and Aprilia are exercising their concessions and have conducted a private testing session at the Misano Circuit. KTM test riders Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa and Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori have attended these sessions. While Savadori has had plenty of time on the Aprilia due to him standing in for Jorge Martin, the KTM test riders haven’t been on the motorcycle since the Sepang Shakedown. For both KTM and Aprilia, this is a chance to close the gap to Ducati, and they could see their efforts coming to fruition very soon if they keep this up.