1 day Ago
Doha, Qatar: Under the dazzling floodlights of Lusail, Marc Marquez showcased resilience and composure to secure a “fantastic” victory at the Qatar Grand Prix last night.
Having dominated Saturday’s qualifying and sprint sessions, the Ducati star faced a far tougher challenge in the 22-lap main race – one he embraced in front of 22,565 enthusiastic spectators at Lusail International Circuit.
Starting from pole position, Marquez encountered trouble from the outset when his brother, Alex Marquez, struck the rear of his bike after braking late into the second corner.
The contact marked a dramatic start to the race, but the eight-time world champion recovered swiftly and kept his composure.
He went on to withstand a late surge from KTM’s Maverick Vinales and regained control of the race with seven laps remaining, cruising to a well-deserved victory.
Vinales, who had taken the lead, was later handed a post-race tyre pressure penalty that dropped him to 14th.
As a result, Franco Morbidelli was promoted to third, joining Marc Marquez and runner-up Francesco Bagnaia on the podium. Two-time world champion Bagnaia had delivered a strong ride after starting 11th on the grid.
The victory was Marc Marquez’s first Grand Prix win at Lusail since 2014 and completed a flawless weekend for the Spaniard.
It also marked his third main race victory of the 2025 season, adding to his perfect sprint record. His only setback so far was a crash while leading the grand prix in Austin, won by Bagnaia.
With the win, the Ducati rider extended his tally in the World Championship standings to 123 points, now 17 points ahead of his brother Alex, whose streak of runner-up finishes this season ended with a sixth-place result. Bagnaia sits third in the standings, 26 points adrift of the leader.
After the opening-lap collision, Morbidelli briefly took the lead on his Gresini Ducati but couldn’t hold off the charging pack.
Vinales surged into the lead, with Bagnaia and Marc Marquez in close pursuit. Marc Marquez made his decisive move with seven laps to go and never looked back, eventually crossing the line comfortably ahead.
“I told you before the race, I needed to manage the tyres,” he said afterward.
“That’s why I stayed quiet in the first part of the race. When Pecco (Bagnaia) caught me, I thought, ‘Right, now let’s race.
’ Vinales was surprising – he had pace – but I had the margin in the end. To win in Qatar is fantastic,” Marc Marquez added.
Bagnaia, who staged an impressive charge from 11th on the grid, was content with his podium finish but lamented his missed opportunity in the sprint where he finished eighth.
“It’s good to be on the podium, but I’m very upset about yesterday because I managed it today,” he said.
“Starting from that position is always tricky for strategy, which is why I pushed hard early.
In the final laps, I had no rear tyre left. Still, I’m happy and proud of the team. They always do a fantastic job and we need to keep going in this direction.
”
Alex’s tough night included an incident when he clashed with Fabio Di Giannantonio in a fight for third place, earning him a long-lap penalty. He eventually finished sixth behind Johann Zarco and Fermin Aldeguer, bringing his run of second-place finishes to an end.
Fabio Quartararo, Pedro Acosta, Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini rounded out the top ten.
Meanwhile, reigning world champion Jorge Martin endured a disastrous return. After missing the first three rounds due to injury, the Aprilia rider crashed on lap 14 at Turn 12 and was taken to hospital for checks. He had finished 16th in the sprint on Saturday.
His team later issued a statement confirming that the Spaniard underwent a chest scan at the hospital, which revealed pneumothorax swelling and required the placement of suction drainage.
Support races and fan highlights
The day began with the final race of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, where Japanese riders continued their dominance.
Ryota Ogiwara of Idemitsu ATC – Japan took victory with a time of 26’15.105, narrowly edging out teammate Seiryu Ikegami by just 0.204 seconds.
Shingo Iidaka completed the all-Japanese podium with a time of 26’29.512.
The paddock was buzzing with excitement as the Hero Walk offered fans a unique chance to meet and interact with their MotoGP heroes. Spectators snapped photos, collected autographs, and enjoyed one-on-one moments with the stars.
The Fan Zone also remained a hive of activity on the final day, offering everything from racing simulators and go-karting sessions to illusion shows and live music, ensuring an unforgettable experience for fans of all ages.
World championship standings
1. Marc Marquez (ESP/Ducati) 123 pts
2.
Alex Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini) 106 pts
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 97 pts
4. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 78 pts
5.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 48 pts
6. Johann Zarco (FRA/Honda-LCR) 38 pts
7. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Aprilia) 32 pts
8.
Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha) 30 pts
9. Ai Ogura (JPN/Aprilia-Trackhouse) 29 pts
10. Luca Marini (ITA/Honda) 26 pts
Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar 2025 MotoGP Results
1 Marc Marquez 41:29.
186 (Ducati Lenovo Team)
2 Francesco Bagnaia +4.535 (Ducati Lenovo Team)
3 Franco Morbidelli +6.495 (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
4 Johann Zarco +6.
668 (CASTROL Honda LCR)
5 Fermin Aldeguer +7.484 (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
6 Alex Marquez +9.764 (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
7 Fabio Quartararo +12.
895 (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team)
8 Pedro Acosta +14.219 (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
9 Marco Bezzecchi +14.368 (Aprilia Racing)
10 Luca Marini +15.
137 (Honda HRC Castrol)
11 Enea Bastianini +17.459 (Red Bull KTM Tech3)
12 Alex Rins +17.563 (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team)
13 Brad Binder +17.
632 (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
14 Maverick Viñales +17.800 (Red Bull KTM Tech3)
15 Ai Ogura +18.758 (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
16 Fabio Di Giannantonio +26.
340 (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
17 Raul Fernandez +26.925 (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
18 Somkiat Chantra +38.186 (IDEMITSU Honda LCR)
Not Classified
Augusto Fernandez 13 laps (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP)
Jorge Martin 13 laps (Aprilia Racing)
Joan Mir 12 laps (Honda HRC Castrol)
Jack Miller 9 laps (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP)
MOTO 2 (Top 10)
1 Aron Canet 35:30.
185 (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO)
2 Deniz Öncü +1.103 (Red Bull KTM Ajo)
3 Manuel Gonzalez +1.286 (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP)
4 Daniel Holgado +4.
021 (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team)
5 Diogo Moreira +5.892 (Italtrans Racing Team)
6 Barry Baltus +6.158 (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO)
7 Celestino Vietti +9.
821 (Team HDR Heidrun)
8 Marcos Ramirez +9.991 (American Racing Team)
9 Albert Arenas +10.839 (ITALJET Gresini Moto2)
10 Filip Salac +10.
879 (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team)
Moto 3 (Top 10)
1 Angel Piqueras 33:17.268 (FRINSA - MT Helmets - MSI)
2 Taiyo Furusato +0.009 (Honda Team Asia)
3 Ryusei Yamanaka +0.
042 (FRINSA - MT Helmets - MSI)
4 Joel Kelso +0.097 (LEVELUP-MTA)
5 Riccardo Rossi +7.295 (Rivacold Snipers Team)
6 David Muñoz +10.
309 (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP)
7 Luca Lunetta +10.474 (SIC58 Squadra Corse)
8 Stefano Nepa +10.561 (SIC58 Squadra Corse)
9 Nicola Carraro +12.
115 (Rivacold Snipers Team)
10 Guido Pini +12.121 (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP)
