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.

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.

READ MORE: GP of the Americas 2025: Márquez brothers aim for glory at COTA
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 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?

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.

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 leftin 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.
Pedro Still believes in KTM.
“I still believe in KTM”, stressed Pedro while directing the team to concentrate more on improving their qualifying, which he believes is what has been killing the team. After 7 rounds of the MotoGP championship, the Spaniard Pedro Acosta returns to the Aragon GP, having previously been on the podium (3rd) in 2024 here with KTM. He has hopes of a top-five finish as he notices the similar layouts of Silverstone and Aragon tracks will suit him even if they don’t suit the bike.

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?
It's #AragonGP 🏁week! 🤩🧱#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/57SlB38Fo6
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 2, 2025
Where to Watch MotoGP in India
You can watch all the action live in India on Fancode or Eurosport. The detailed schedule in IST is given below:

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 British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro’s Search for a Win Continues
Marco Bezzecchi makes the most of Fabio Quartararo’s misfortunes as he takes the win in MotoGP British GP.

Fabio Quartararo did something that many thought would be impossible at the start of the year: he scored a hat-trick of pole positions riding the Factory Yamaha bike. However, he is yet to convert it into a victory. Despite starting 6 races from the front (3 Grand Prix and 3 Sprints), he is yet to stand on the top step of the podium. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi made the most of Quartararo’s misfortune to take his first win of the season.
Read More: MotoGP 2025: Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Hattricks of Poles and a Brace of DNFs for Quartararo
When the season started, anyone, even Fabio for that matter, would not have expected to get 3 back-to-back pole positions on his Factory Yamaha, a bike that has not been the most competitive in the recent past. But to his surprise, and everyone else’s, Fabio put in a storming lap to go 3 tenths clear of the rest of the field and get his third Pole Position of the season. But, as fate would have it, he also scored a back-to-back DNF in the Grand Prix.
In Silverstone, it was looking good for the Frenchman, as he was leading the race ahead of Bezzecchi, but a ride height issue in the middle of the race forced the Yamaha rider to retire from the race. He tried half a lap to fix the issue, but to no success.
Bezzecchi Gets His First Win of The Season
Starting from 11th on the grid, not a lot of people would have had Marco Bezzecchi on their cards to win the British Grand Prix. But the Aprilia rider slowly and steadily picked off riders one by one to climb up to second position, and when Quartararo’s misfortunes hit, Bezzecchi was at the perfect place to make the most of it and cross the finish line in first.
A season with lacklustre results for the Italian driver, this win would do him a world of good. Before this race, his best finish was 6th; now the win has shot him to 7th in the standings.

Another Weekend of Struggle for the Factory Ducati
Riding on a wave of success at the start of the season, the Factory Ducatis have been struggling of late. Marc Marquez is no longer the dominating force, as he has lost out on Pole Position in the last 3 races, and in the most recent one, he wasn’t even on the front row. Marquez has still managed to salvage the Sprint races, winning every single one of them this year except the one on British GP Saturday, where he finished second to his brother Alex Marquez. Meanwhile Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the race after struggling throughout and dropping down the order before he went down.
Marquez struggled throughout this weekend, this has been a circuit where he does not go well historically either. His qualifying run put him on the second row in P4, Sprint was better as he managed to finish P2. The struggle paused for 2 laps at the start of the main race, where he took the lead of the race, before eventually crashing out of the race. A red flag due the another incident further meant the race would be restarted, but even then Marquez could only manage P3, after he dropped down the order outside the Top 10, then made a recovery ride to finish on the podium.
Back-to-Back Grand Prix Podiums for Zarco and Honda
Johann Zarco has been having a very underrated season this year. The last 2 races specifically, the French rider has managed to put the Honda on the top step of the podium in Le Mans and in second place in Silverstone. Throughout this season, Zarco has only been out of the points in one race. He currently sits fifth in the Riders’ standings with 97 points; for comparison, the next Honda rider is Luca Marini on 38 points in 13th.

Championship Standings
As things stand, the Marquez brothers still sit at the top of the standings with Marc ahead of Alex by 24 points.
Up Next for MotoGP
After a small break, MotoGP will now head to Aragon for Round 8 of the world championship from 6-8 June.
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 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Marc Marquez goes in with the largest championship lead so far this season at a track which has historically been a beacon of unpredictability.

The British GP, held at Silverstone since its conception, has historically been one of the most unpredictable races. Just in the past 10 years, 10 different riders have won the race at Silverstone. And the unpredictable British weather plays a large part in this. Heading into one of the most dramatic tracks on the calendar, the riders brace for unpredictable challenges, and unexpected contenders may emerge. Join us as we go over everything you need to know before the lights go off in Britain.
Read More: Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans
Marc Márquez seeks to secure sophomore success at Silverstone

At this point, the preview section regarding Marc is gradually becoming a parody of itself. Marc is undoubtedly the best rider on the grid currently, and he is in his best form. It is undeniable that he will perform well.
However, Silverstone has not been Marc’s strongest suit. He has only managed to win one race here, all the way back in 2014. The closest he has gotten since is getting second place in 2019 in one of the closest races in MotoGP history, where he was barely edged out by Alex Rins on the final turn.
Now, Marc seeks to secure a second victory at this classic circuit. And as long as he manages to keep his motorcycle upright, there is no one who can prevent him. Or is there?
The Silverstone Dark Horses
Silverstone is used to throwing curveballs – once in a blue moon, an incredibly unexpected rider steps up out of nowhere and manages to clench the victory.

Just last year, as the title fight between Martin and Bagnaia was heating up, Enea Bastianini somehow swooped in and secured his first and only win of the 2024 season. However, now that Bastianini has moved to KTM, who are admittedly trying their best to improve, the chances that Enea could be a contender for the British GP are slim.

Similarly, in 2023, the British GP was won by none other than Aleix Espargaro. In fact, Aleix was one of only two non-Ducati riders to win that season, the other being Alex Rins. Aleix will be making an appearance in 2025 as a wildcard on the Honda. Even though Zarco managed to take the French GP for Honda, Zarco’s victory was by virtue of strategy rather than machinery or skill. Hence, Espargaro being a serious contender for the victory is also a pipe dream, but it is more realistic than Bastianini.

And then we have Alex Rins. The winner of the 2019 British GP. Arguably, the most exciting race in the past decade. Rins, in a display of pure skill, was battling with Márquez up until the very last corner of the very last lap, taking the chequered flag with a lead of mere 0.013 seconds.
However, since then, a lot has changed for Rins. Multiple crashes and injuries, plus moves to inferior teams and unreliable machinery, have left him in a sticky predicament. While he has the skill, he lacks the support from his team or from his own injured body. While Rins has managed to win in a glorious manner in the past, it is nigh impossible that he stands a chance this year.

Finally, we have Fabio Quartararo. The 2020 world champion has had his ups and downs over the past few years, but he finally appears to have found his groove, with back-to-back pole positions. Having already won at Silverstone in 2021, all El Diablo has to do is find a way to convert his qualifying speed into race pace, and he could be a very serious contender.
Bagnaia confesses troubles with Ducati machinery

The 2025 season has been a tragedy so far for two-time world champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. He is currently trailing 51 points behind the championship leader in third place. After his sudden drop in pace last weekend, Pecco has finally admitted to having troubles with the front end of the bike, quote “It’s true I’ve been struggling with this bike […]”
This should be an early warning to Ducati not to make the same mistakes as those who came before them. Back in the days of Honda/Márquez dominance, Honda was incredibly determined to build the best motorcycle for Márquez. However, their focus on catering to one star rider resulted in them making a motorcycle that could not be operated by anyone besides Márquez. Ultimately, this led to Honda’s downfall. Ducati must take feedback from all their riders, championship leaders or not, to prevent suffering the same fate.
Championship Standings
Following are the championship standings going into the British GP :
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:
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.
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