Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is back on top in 2025, securing a dramatic victory at the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas after a chaotic race filled with stunning twists.
The reigning champion took full advantage of a heartbreaking crash for COTA King, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), who saw his undefeated record at the circuit come to a shattering end while leading. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) claimed P2, a result that catapulted him to the top of the MotoGP standings, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) completed the podium in what was an electrifying Round 3.
The drama began long before the lights went out. A sudden downpour created uncertainty, with several riders, including Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), struggling on the sighting lap—the Frenchman crashing before making it back to the grid. Then, in an almost surreal turn of events, Marc Marquez abandoned his bike just before the three-minute board was signaled, setting off a pit lane stampede. Riders, including Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio, and Alex Marquez, sprinted with their teams to switch to slick tyres, while some, like Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), gambled by staying out on slicks from the start. The confusion forced race control to red-flag the session, setting up a frantic restart.
With the quick restart procedure in place, all riders now started on slicks. However, more trouble arose as Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was wheeled off the grid just before the race finally commenced.
Marc Marquez launched into the holeshot, with Alex Marquez fending off Bagnaia into Turn 1. The #63 pushed hard to pass his future title rival, but Alex Marquez remained firm, resisting attacks at Turns 11 and 12. By the end of Lap 1, Marc Marquez had pulled a 1.1-second lead, with the front quartet—Marquez, Marquez, Bagnaia, and Di Giannantonio—creating a gap from the rest of the field.
By Lap 4, the #93 extended his lead to 1.4 seconds, with Bagnaia finally breaking through to P2 at Turn 12, putting himself in prime position to chase his teammate. However, Marquez responded with blistering pace, setting a 2:02.433 lap time and stretching the gap to over two seconds.
Further back, MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed out at Turn 1, marking another unfortunate twist in a race already brimming with unpredictability.
Then, on Lap 6, the unthinkable happened. At Turn 4, Marc Marquez lost control, his front end washing away as he clipped the curb and hit a wet patch. The COTA King was down—his undefeated streak over. Though he remounted, his GP25 suffered significant damage, including a missing right footpeg. Struggling in P18, he was eventually passed by Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) before retiring on Lap 13.
With Marc Marquez out, Bagnaia took full control, pulling 1.6 seconds clear of Alex Marquez. The Gresini rider, in turn, maintained a 2.2-second gap over Di Giannantonio, ensuring a tense battle for podium positions.
As the laps ticked down, Bagnaia extended his lead to three seconds, while Di Giannantonio closed in on Alex Marquez, reducing the gap to just one second. Meanwhile, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was on a charge, setting the fastest laps and overtaking Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) for P5—only to crash out at Turn 15. Just moments later, Johann Zarco (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) also went down at Turn 12.
With one lap to go, Bagnaia simply had to bring it home. Alex Marquez, under pressure, held firm against Di Giannantonio’s late push, and as they crossed the finish line, Bagnaia secured his 30th career MotoGP win. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider took a crucial 25 points, while Alex Marquez’s P2 made him the new MotoGP Championship leader, continuing his streak of six straight podiums. Di Giannantonio celebrated a phenomenal P3, marking another strong performance for VR46 Racing.
Final Standings and Notable Performances
Behind the top three, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) finished P4, with Miller delivering his best Yamaha result in P5. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) stormed from P13 on the grid to P6, while Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) flew the KTM flag highest in P7. Rounding out the top 10 were Marini, Ogura, and Quartararo.
MotoGP once again delivered a race filled with thrills, spills, and major championship implications. Marc Marquez’s undefeated COTA record is no more, while Alex Marquez emerges as the new leader in the title race. Meanwhile, Bagnaia’s victory injects renewed confidence as the double World Champion heads to Qatar for Round 4.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
