Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) maintained his flawless 2025 Tissot Sprint record with a hard-fought victory at the Circuit of the Americas, securing his third straight win.
The #93 rider outdueled his brother, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), in a breathtaking showdown, while reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) settled for third after an action-packed race.
From the moment the lights went out, the Sprint race delivered high-intensity drama. Bagnaia launched from P6 to grab the holeshot into Turn 1, but Marc Marquez immediately retaliated at Turn 2, reclaiming the lead. However, Bagnaia struck back at Turn 3, before Marquez executed a daring move at Turn 7 to seize control once again.
The relentless exchange saw Marc Marquez leading Bagnaia and Alex Marquez, but a massive slide at Turn 17 nearly ended his race early. The six-time MotoGP champion was dramatically ejected from his saddle but miraculously regained control, briefly dropping to third. The fight continued into Turn 20, where Marquez stunned the crowd by overtaking both Bagnaia and his brother to reclaim P1—an instant classic that will demand several rewatches.
With a rhythm established, Marc Marquez began stretching his lead to 0.6s by Lap 3 as Bagnaia started losing touch with the front-runners. Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) launched a fierce attack on Bagnaia, only for a wobble at Turn 15 to allow Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) to slip through, creating a Ducati-Yamaha-VR46 battle for fourth place.
On Lap 5, Marquez’s lead momentarily shrank to 0.4s, but he responded immediately, pulling away once again. Alex Marquez, meanwhile, kept Bagnaia at bay, ensuring the reigning champion remained out of contention for the victory.
With two laps to go, Marc Marquez had extended his advantage to 1.4s, but Alex Marquez wasn’t done yet. He clawed back time heading into the last lap, closing the gap to 0.7s, but despite his best efforts, he could not deny his older brother another triumph. Marc Marquez crossed the finish line to claim his third consecutive Sprint victory, with Alex Marquez securing another P2 finish and Bagnaia completing the podium.
Further back, a thrilling battle for fourth saw Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) emerge victorious, followed by Morbidelli in P5. Quartararo delivered an impressive ride to claim P6, while Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) secured seventh as the top KTM rider of the day.
Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) collected two Sprint points with a hard-fought P8, marking his first Sprint top-eight finish with Honda. Meanwhile, rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) put in a stellar late charge to claim the final Sprint point in P9, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
If the Sprint race was any indication, the Americas Grand Prix promises to be an unmissable showdown. With Marc Marquez’s dominance, Alex Marquez’s consistent challenge, and Bagnaia’s hunger for redemption, all eyes will be on the 20-lap battle for glory. Tune in at 14:00 local time (UTC -5) to witness the ultimate showdown for the COTA crown.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
