Start chaos due to weather and tire poker
Even before the actual start, the Texan weather caused confusion: the rain subsided and the track dried out at a rapid pace, leading to hectic decisions on the grid. Originally, most of the teams had opted for rain tires, but shortly before the start Marc Marquez triggered a chain reaction by running back into the pits and switching to the bike with slicks. Several riders also ran back into the pit lane – a sight rarely seen in MotoGP.
Race control aborted the start, shortened the race distance to 19 laps and had the riders regroup. Last year’s winner Maverick Viñales had the worst possible restart: a technical problem forced him to start from the pit lane.
Marquez dominates – until the mistake
Marc Marquez took the lead from pole position at the restart and easily pulled away from his pursuers on the first lap. Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia followed, with the latter trying to put the pressure on early on. On lap four, Bagnaia overtook Alex and was now in second place – at this point, however, Marc Marquez was already 1.5 seconds ahead.
The eight-time Austin winner was seemingly in control of the race – until the fateful ninth lap. In turn 4, Marquez cut a curb too wide, which was still slightly damp. The front wheel came off and the Ducati flew into the gravel. Despite the damaged bike – among other things, the right footrest was broken – Marquez continued for three more laps before retiring from the race. He later explained: “It was clearly my mistake.”
Bagnaia seizes the opportunity, Alex Marquez takes the world championship lead
Francesco Bagnaia took the lead and was not to be denied victory. He crossed the finish line in first place after 19 laps, a good two seconds ahead of Alex Marquez. It was the Italian’s 30th MotoGP victory – a personal milestone that also makes him the most successful Ducati rider of all time.
Despite his success, Bagnaia remained realistic: “Marc’s pace was fantastic. I won because he crashed.” Nevertheless, the world champion was relieved: After difficult weeks, he had finally found the right feeling on the Desmosedici again.
Alex Marquez secured an important 20 points with second place and now leads the overall standings with 87 points – one point ahead of his brother Marc and twelve points ahead of Bagnaia.
Podium for “Diggia”, disappointment for Viñales and Co.
Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the Ducati podium. The Italian, who competed in a special livery for the VR46 team, was overjoyed after the race: “I’m completely exhausted – to be honest, I need 100 or 200 beers tonight to recover.”
The three Ducati riders were followed by Franco Morbidelli (VR46-Ducati) and Jack Miller (Yamaha) in fourth and fifth place. Fermin Aldeguer was in P5 for a while, but crashed after a duel with Miller. Johann Zarco also crashed.
Pedro Acosta, Joan Mir and Brad Binder also retired. Maverick Viñales, disadvantaged by his start from the pit lane, finished 14th – a disappointing result for last year’s winner.
World Championship standings: All to play for after six of 44 races
The title race is completely open after the Grand Prix in Austin. Alex Marquez leads the riders’ standings with 87 points, closely followed by Marc Marquez (86) and Francesco Bagnaia (75). Ducati has now extended its lead in the manufacturers’ standings with 111 points. The Ducati factory team is also clearly ahead in the Team Championship.
Race result MotoGP Austin 2025 – Top 10:
- 1st Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) – 39:00.191 min
- 2nd Alex Marquez (Ducati) – +2.089 s
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati) – +3.594 s
- 4th Franco Morbidelli (Ducati) – +10.732 s
- 5th Jack Miller (Yamaha) – +11.857 s
- 6th Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) – +12.238 s
- 7th Enea Bastianini (KTM) – +12.815 s
- Luca Marini (Honda) – +15.646 s
- 9th Ai Ogura (Aprilia) – +16.344 s
- 10th Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) – +18.255 s
World Championship standings (after 6 of 44 races):
- 1st Alex Marquez – 87 points
- 2nd Marc Marquez – 86 points
- Francesco Bagnaia – 75 points
- Franco Morbidelli – 55 points
- Fabio Di Giannantonio – 44 points
The 2025 MotoGP season continues in two weeks’ time with the Qatar Grand Prix in Lusail. There, the three-way battle between the Marquez brothers and Bagnaia could come to a head.
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