Marquez Extends Win Streak in Austin Sprint Thriller

Ducati ace fends off brother Alex yet again as Bagnaia completes all-Desmo podium

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) continued his perfect start to the 2025 MotoGP season with a dazzling Tissot Sprint victory at the Circuit of the Americas — but not without serving up a hefty dose of Saturday drama in Texas.

The eight-lap Sprint was an edge-of-the-seat affair, with Marquez eventually getting the better of his brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) by just eight-tenths of a second to make it three-from-three in the Sprints so far this season. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the podium, salvaging a solid third after an exhilarating early battle.

If you were late to your seat, you missed the lap of the season – perhaps even the lap of the last few seasons. Bagnaia, launching from sixth on the grid, muscled his way into the holeshot at Turn 1 but couldn’t shake the Marquez brothers. Marc and Pecco engaged in an early chess match: the #93 hit back at Turn 2, only for Bagnaia to reply at Turn 3. But the six-time MotoGP champ had other ideas, regaining the lead at Turn 7.

It briefly looked like that lead might not last. At Turn 17, Marquez had a massive moment — a huge rear-end slide nearly bucking him off the bike. The near-highside cost him time, with both Bagnaia and Alex Marquez pouncing. Then, in footage destined for highlight reels, Turn 20 saw Marc Marquez slingshot past both to reclaim the lead with Alex in tow.

Once back in front, Marc Marquez settled into a rhythm and edged out a gap. By Lap 3, he was 0.6s clear of Alex, while Bagnaia lost ground and found himself defending from a hard-charging Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) — at least until the Frenchman had a heart-stopping moment on the brakes at Turn 15, opening the door for Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) to sneak past into fifth.

Behind them, a furious dogfight was brewing. Quartararo, Morbidelli, and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) were locked in a Tricolore tussle for fourth. With four laps to go, it was anyone’s guess who’d emerge top of the pile.

At the front, Marc Marquez had stretched his lead to 1.4s with two to go, but Alex wasn’t done yet. By the beginning of the final lap, the younger Marquez had trimmed the gap to 0.7s — keeping his brother honest. But in typical Marc Marquez fashion, the #93 absorbed the pressure and closed out another statement Sprint victory, extending his early-season supremacy.

Alex Marquez held down second for his third consecutive Sprint podium, while Bagnaia rounded out the top three just under two seconds off P1. It’s a decent haul for the reigning double World Champion, but Pecco will be mightily sick of being force-fed humble pie by both Marquez brothers.

Di Giannantonio emerged best of the rest in fourth, with Morbidelli putting in a composed ride to take fifth ahead of Quartararo in sixth — a huge effort by the Yamaha rider, holding his own against Ducati’s pack.

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led KTM’s charge to seventh after a quiet but smart ride, while Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) earned his first Sprint points aboard the RC213V, battling his way to a gritty eighth for Honda. That performance was further elevated by Joan Mir’s early crash from the top nine, leaving Marini as HRC’s lone scorer — and a beacon of the brand’s tangible progress.

Rookie sensation Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) closed out the points in ninth, out-duelling Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in a thrilling final-lap exchange.

Alex Marquez is understandably always happy to celebrate his brother’s wins, but the rest of the field must be starting to wonder what it’s going to take to stop Marc’s undefeated run this season. Alex sometimes looks as if he might be able to challenge at the front, but you get the impression Marc always has something in reserve if he has the temerity to get too close. So far, the 2025 version of the number 93 looks to be the most terrifying iteration yet, with the talent of his youth now tempered with a calculating, strategic mindset.

MotoGP COTA SPRINT RACE