MotoGP

Francesco Bagnaia Wins as Marc Marquez Blunders in Austin

Rain, chaos and drama filled weekend comes to an end as Francesco Bagnaia takes his first win of the season in Austin.

Published

3 months ago

March 31, 2025

Francesco Bagnaia eats a hot dog to celebrate his win in Austin, Texas.

MotoGP headed to Austin for the Grand Prix of the Americas, Round 3 of the 2025 championship. COTA has long been considered Marc Marquez’s second home, and after his dominant performances in the first two rounds, it seemed like only one rider could stop him—Marc himself. And that’s exactly what happened.

Marquez crashed out of the race while leading, rejoining at the back of the field and handing victory to Francesco Bagnaia. Alex Marquez continued his strong form, finishing second yet again. Despite Marc’s misfortune, the Marquez name still tops the championship standings—only this time, it’s Alex leading the way, sitting one point ahead of his brother.

Francesco Bagnaia Wins as Marc Marquez Blunders in Austin — Marc Marquez on his damaged GP25 at GP of the Americas 2025 – Photo – Dorna Sports

Drama, Drama and more Drama

Drama ensued on Sunday even before the race began, as riders had to contend with tricky wet conditions during the sighting lap. The rain caught Fabio Quartararo off guard, causing him to crash, but he managed to get back around to the grid. Little did anyone know, this was just the beginning of the chaos at COTA.

Despite the wet sighting lap, the track was drying rapidly, making tire choice a tough decision—slicks or wets? While most riders sat on their bikes awaiting the race start procedure, Marc Marquez was off his, standing on the grid. Just as the three-minute board was about to be signalled, he suddenly sprinted across the tarmac into the pit lane, heading to the garage to swap his slick-shod bike for one fitted with wets.

Looking back at this moment 👀 @marcmarquez93 wasn't sat on the bike and decided to bolt back to the pits #AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1SxFj03R5u
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025

His move triggered a chain reaction. Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez, and several others abandoned their bikes on the grid and ran back to switch to their spare machines. Meanwhile, riders who had already committed to starting on slicks—Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3)—remained in position. Their gamble might have paid off, but Race Control had other ideas, throwing the red flag and delaying the start.

Race Director Mike Webb explained the reasoning behind the decision:

“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 the delay, the pit lane reopened for a quick-start procedure, with every rider resuming their original grid positions. However, the drama wasn’t over yet—last year’s Austin winner, Maverick Viñales, was wheeled off the grid before the race even started.

Marc Marquez’s deliberate tactic in vain

Marc Márquez admitted he deliberately left the grid, anticipating that other riders would follow suit and force the race start to be aborted. Under MotoGP regulations, Article 1.18.1 states that if “more than 10 riders” abandon their grid slots, the start must be called off.

“I really know the rules, and how to do, and how to be on the limit all the time.” Marquez told MotoGP.com afterwards.

“And yeah, I asked to [Marco] Rigamonti my chief mechanic, seven minutes before the start, if the second bike was ready. He told me ‘yes’. And then I said to him ‘maybe I will leave the grid’. Why? Because I predicted when I will leave – I saw that the rain tyres were [already] not the correct strategy – and I predicted that when I will leave, more than 10 riders will follow me and then they’ll stop the race. And that’s what happened.”

However, in reality, exactly 10 riders left the grid—not more than 10. Márquez still got the result he wanted, even though his assumption was slightly off.

A very important clarification, because I think there's some misinformation out there: 10 bikes pulled off the grid today. The rules say that it has to be one more than that to trigger a full restart. pic.twitter.com/6IJRnTtK6F
— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) March 31, 2025

Once the race eventually got underway, Márquez made a perfect launch off the line, immediately seizing control at the front. His brother, Alex, followed closely in second, while Bagnaia, who had started sixth, gained three places to slot into third.

Marc Márquez’s dominant run in 2025 came to an abrupt halt on Lap 9. The Ducati rider misjudged his line, clipping the curb too far and hitting a wet patch at Turn 4, which caused his front end to wash away, sending him to the ground.

MORE DRAMA! 💥💥💥💥@marcmarquez93 HAS GONE DOWN! #AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JWVRiiJYFt
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025

Determined to salvage something from the race, Márquez rejoined in 18th, but his GP25 was significantly damaged, including a missing right footpeg. With the bike lacking pace and any realistic chance of scoring points—let alone fighting at the front—his efforts quickly turned into a lost cause. Struggling to stay competitive, he retired on Lap 13, officially bringing his winning streak to an end.

Francesco Bagnaia rewarded for consistency

With Marc Márquez out of contention, Francesco Bagnaia inherited the race lead—his reward for a consistently strong start to the season. While Márquez had dominated the headlines with his form, Bagnaia was quietly enjoying his best-ever start to a MotoGP season, accumulating 43 points in the first two races.

Although his victory came as a result of Márquez’s misfortune, Bagnaia’s performance was nothing short of brilliant. He managed the race flawlessly, avoiding mistakes and keeping his GP25 upright—something even his in-form teammate failed to do. His composed ride earned him his first win of the season and his 30th career MotoGP victory, putting him just one win behind MotoGP legends Dani Pedrosa and Eddie Lawson. It was also his first triumph at COTA, making it the 17th different track where he has taken victory in MotoGP.

Bagnaia had already showcased his strength earlier in the weekend, briefly leading the Sprint Race on Lap 1 despite starting from sixth on the grid. Now leaving Austin full of confidence, the Italian will look to carry this momentum into the next race weekend. Currently sitting third in the standings, 12 points behind leader Alex Márquez, Bagnaia knows there are still 19 race weekends left—plenty of time for the championship battle to unfold.

Same Name, But a New Championship Leader

The name Márquez still tops the championship standings, but this time it’s Alex Márquez leading the way. The Gresini Ducati rider secured a strong second-place finish in Austin, which, combined with his runner-up result in the Sprint Race, propelled him to the top of the standings.

Pure delight for @GresiniRacing and @VR46RacingTeam 🥳#AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JVJp7JqwgK
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025

Alex’s consistency has been remarkable. He has now finished second in every race this season, making 2025 his best MotoGP campaign in terms of podium finishes. His latest result in Austin marked his third consecutive podium, making 2025 his best MotoGP season regarding podiums.

Having won Moto3 and Moto2 in the past, Alex Márquez now leads the MotoGP World Championship for the first time in his career, with 87 points to his name. Meanwhile, Marc, who was in contention for the win before crashing and eventually retiring, now trails his younger brother by a single point.

More storylines from Austin:

Austin delivered plenty of talking points beyond the dramatic battle at the front.

Fabio Di Giannantonio secured his first Grand Prix podium since his maiden MotoGP victory in Qatar 2023, finishing P3. This marks his third career podium in the premier class.
Jack Miller claimed P5, his best result since joining Yamaha this season and his strongest finish since placing fifth in Thailand last year. This also marked Yamaha’s first top-five finish since Fabio Quartararo’s P5 in Malaysia in 2023.
Luca Marini finished as the top Honda in P8, his best result since joining the Japanese manufacturer last season.
Marco Bezzecchi produced an impressive comeback ride to P6, making up seven places after starting from 13th on the grid.
Rookie Fermin Aldeguer showed flashes of brilliance, briefly setting the fastest lap of the race and overtaking Miller for P5. However, his strong performance ended in heartbreak when he crashed out at Turn 15 in the final stages of the race.

Championship Standings and Up Next

With Marc Marquez failing to score, Alex Marquez now leads the world championship by a single point over his brother. MotoGP next heads to Qatar for Round 4 of the Championship from 11-13 April.

A new World Championship leader in #MotoGP 😎 @alexmarquez73 #AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/9qUSgILlYT
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025

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.

MotoGP

MotoGP: Unstoppable Marquez Makes it 93 Wins for #93 in Mugello

Dominant Marc, Vintage Bagnaia and edge of the seat action, MotoGP delivered it all in Mugello.

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

Marc Marquez celebrates on the podium after winning the MotoGP Grand Prix of Mugello

Credits: MotoGP

MotoGP went from Marquez’s backyard in Aragon to Bagnaia’s backyard in Mugello, but the end result was the same: a complete domination by Marc Marquez. This weekend it was made more special as Marquez got his 93rd win in all classes of two-wheeler racing.

93 Wins for #93

Marc Marquez had another dominant weekend in MotoGP, taking yet another Pole, Sprint win, and Grand Prix win at Mugello. After a short winless streak of 4 races, Marc bounced back strong to have 2 dominant weekends in Aragon and in Mugello. In Mugello, however, it was not an easy ride.

During the Sprint race, Marquez had an issue with his bike just as the lights were about to go out, which resulted in Marc dropping places going into Turn 1. But Marc soon made up places, going up to P3 at the start of Lap 3. What commenced was a battle for victory between Marc, Bagnaia and Alex. On lap 4, Marc made the move for the lead, and it was smooth sailing for him afterwards as he converted his 100th GP pole to the sprint win.

MotoGP: Unstoppable Marquez Makes it 93 Wins for #93 in Mugello — Marc Marquez after his sprint win in Mugello. Credits: MotoGP

The GP race on Sunday was a treat to the eyes. The opening laps in Mugello were some of the best we have seen this year in terms of racing. Marc was constantly challenged and overtaken for the lead by his teammate and brother, a proper edge-of-the-seat drama. Ultimately, Marc took the win with his brother following him in P2.

Vintage Bagnaia on Display in Mugello but in Vain

For the first time this year, we saw the Bagnaia we had been expecting to see from the start. When Marquez signed for Ducati, everyone was looking forward to Marquez vs Bagnaia, but that did not happen this year, until Mugello. Pecco was in his vintage mode, taking on Marquez toe to toe and more often than not coming out ahead of his teammate, although eventually it was Marquez who got the better of him. Pecco still had a decent weekend, a P3 in the sprint and narrowly missing out on the podium on Sunday after leading the race early on.

Another Solid Weekend from Alex Marquez

Alex Marquez got his 6th podium of the season and a fourth Marquez 1-2 of the year. Alex did briefly challenge for the win in both races in Mugello, but eventually lost out to Marc, just like everyone else. Currently sitting second in the standings, Alex is 40 points behind his older brother, and there is still a long season to go. Although there have been allegations made after Mugello that Alex does not race his older brother like he races others, if Alex does take on Marc, it will be a championship battle to watch out for.

Di Giannantonio Matches His Best Season in MotoGP in Terms of Podiums

Fabio Di Giannantonio got his second podium of the year, finishing P3 in Mugello, matching his best finish of P3 in Austin earlier this year. The Italian rider had a stellar show on Sunday, charging up to claim the podium, narrowly missing out on P2 as he ran out of laps to chase down Alex. Overall, it is a weekend Diggia will be happy with and will look to build on it for the rest of the season. He currently sits 5th in the standings, only 8 points behind his teammate in fourth.

Up Next: Assen

No time to rest as the paddock moves to TT Circuit Assen for the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix from 27th to 29th June for the second leg of the double header. Who triumphs in the land of the Dutch? Only one way to find out. Watch all the MotoGP action live in India online on Fancode or on your TVs at Eurosport.

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.

MotoGP

MotoGP Aragon: Marc Marquez Dominant at His Backyard

Published

2 weeks ago

June 17, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

Marc Marquez at the MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon.

Credits: MotoGP

MotoGP made its way to Aragon, a place that is known as Marc Marquez’s backyard. Marquez demonstrated why exactly. A complete dominance from the Spaniard that saw him take the Pole and sprint win on Saturday, and then a win and the fastest lap of the GP on Sunday. Alex Marquez continued to be at the tail of his brother, finishing second, and Francesco Bagnaia scored a P3 on Sunday, a podium that will do a world of good to the confidence of the Italian before we head to his home turf in Mugello.

Marquez Takes his 4th Win of MotoGP 2025

It’s not often you get to see a masterclass live, in Aragon, that is what everyone watching the Aragon GP witnessed. Marc Marquez had a perfect weekend, leading every session and every lap of the race. This win felt a long time coming, as this was Marquez’s first win since Qatar, which was all the way back in April. But before Qatar was Austin, where Marquez made a big mistake that resulted in him retiring from the race, Marc explained how those mistakes start to creep in and build doubts in the head.

“If we want to fight for the Championship, we cannot have a weekend where we repeat mistakes like we did in Austin. The other ones, okay, but Austin was a big mistake and then today I was very focused. With six or seven laps remaining, I started to think about that mistake. I asked myself, ‘how should I manage the situation?’ But then I was looking the lap time and I was riding on low: 47s without full concentration. Then I decided to increase the speed to be focused again.”

MotoGP Aragon: Marc Marquez Dominant at His Backyard — Marquez takes the win in Aragon. Credits: MotoGP

Confidence Boost for Bagnaia Before Mugello

Bagnaia has been struggling with his GP25 from the start of the season, but the last two races have been very miserable. The Italian rider had a retirement and a 16th place in the previous two GPs, even in the sprint, he only had a lonely P6 in the previous one. However, a P3 in Aragon has done a world of good for Bagnaia. In his own words, he has a confidence boost heading to Mugello, a track where he has always been competitive.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Francesco Bagnaia (@pecco63)

Positives for Joan Mir and Honda

It was the first time for Joan Mir to get back-to-back points finishes riding a Honda. A P7 in Aragon was a very positive result for the factory Honda team, their best this season. It was also Joan’s best finish since his P5 finish at the Indian Grand Prix in 2023. After a few hard years, Honda now seems to be getting back to fighting for points more consistently. They would hope to continue this fight and soon move up the ladder.

Can't keep a good Mir down. Bouncing back with a race full of fights!

🅿️7️⃣ "I gave everything, used all the tools I had to battle with these guys" @JoanMirOfficial

📄 https://t.co/TCGhLRPGMo #AragonGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/1bASO4NqT5
— Honda HRC Castrol – MotoGP (@HRC_MotoGP) June 8, 2025

Championship Standings

As things stand, Marc currently sits 32 points clear of his brother Alex Marquez at the top of the standings.

📈 @marcmarquez93 extends his lead in the standings after the #AragonGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/AleE8DM0gz
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 8, 2025

Up Next

MotoGP heads to Mugello next from 20-22nd of June for the Round 9 of the world championship.

MotoGP

MotoGP Heads to Marquez’s Backyard in Aragon

MotoGP returns after a weeks break, this time in Marc’s backyard in Aragon. Will we see him return to the top step or will we get another unpredictable winner?

Published

3 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

Desi Racing Co

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon

Marc Marquez after winning the Aragon GP in 2024. Credits: MotoGP

The FIM MotoGP 2025 championship takes us to Spain for the Aragon GP, the eighth round of the Championship. Spaniard Marc Marquez, who won the 2024 Aragon GP, is heading back to what people call his backyard, currently leading the championship by 24 points. Marquez, famously known as “el tro de Cervera” (Thunder of Cervera), has won 7 races at the iconic track since its inception, once for Moto 2 and 6 times for Moto GP, including 6 poles.

Marc Marquez Looking to Get Back to the Top Step at his backyard

Marc Marquez last won a Grand Prix back in April in Qatar. Since then, he has finished outside the points once and on the podium twice in the 3 races that followed. Coming to Aragon, he would be looking to return to the top step. This is also Marquez’s spiritual home GP, as turn 10 has also been named after him to suggest his dominance at the track with his 7 wins and 4 consecutive wins in the years 2016, ‘17, ‘18, ‘19.

Marc Marquez at MotoGP GP of the Americas — Image credits: MotoGP

Can Fabio get his first win of the year in Aragon?

Fabio Quartararo is on an insane qualifying run, the Frenchman has scored 3 pole positions in the last 3 rounds. Sadly for him, he has converted 0 of them to race wins, even retiring in the last 2. He comes to Aragon after a heartbreak in Silverstone, where he had to retire from a comfortable lead in the Grand Prix due to a technical issue with his holeshot device. Fabio will be looking to finally get himself on the top step of the podium this weekend.

Luca Marini’s Absence in Aragon

Honda Rider Luca Marini, who crashed and sustained multiple injuries during the testing for 8H of Suzuka and was left in intensive care, will not be returning for the Aragon GP. Honda has also decided not to call in any of their reserve drivers, instead, the team will run only Joan Mir for the Aragon GP.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Luca Marini 10 (@lucamarini10)

Bagnaia continues to struggle

Pecco Bagnaia is yet to match Marc’s pace in the factory Ducati, but for the last 2 GPs, he is not matching his own standards. Bagnaia’s results in the previous 2 GPs are a 16th-place finish in Le Mans and a DNF in Silverstone. Bagnaia has struggled with the GP25 from the start of the year and is yet to find his feeling back with the bike again, as he mentioned to the press earlier. But, Bagnaia is still full of confidence as he mentions 2022 when he was 91 points behind the leader and still won the championship eventually. He would be looking to get back to the front this weekend.

Unpredictable as ever: 5 Different Riders have won the last 5 races

When the season started, everyone thought it would be a walk in the park for Marc Marquez after looking at his utter domination early on this year. But, MotoGP has lived up to its unpredictable nature, and we have seen 5 different riders take the win in the last 5 races. It is also important to note that we have also seen 3 different manufacturers take the win as well, including a satellite Honda, something not a lot of people would have placed their bets on. As we head into Aragon, will we get a 6th different winner?