Fierce Battle in Austin – Marc Márquez Takes Tissot Sprint Victory, Secures Third Consecutive Win
Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) started from pole position in the Americas GP qualifying and went on to win the Sprint Race at COTA. With this result, Márquez remains unbeaten on the factory Ducati since the beginning of the 2025 season, further extending his remarkable streak. Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) finished second, while Francesco Bagnaia, who had an intense early battle with both Márquez brothers, took third.
Fierce Opening Battle
The race began with what could be described as the best opening lap of the season. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) made an excellent start from sixth on the grid, grabbing the holeshot into Turn 1. However, Marc Márquez immediately struck back in Turn 2 to reclaim the lead. Then in Turn 3, Pecco countered with another overtake. Márquez responded once more in Turn 7 to take the lead for good.
The race unfolded with Marc in front, Bagnaia in second, and Alex Márquez in third. At Turn 17, Marc experienced a dramatic rear-end slide, nearly losing control but managing to save it. Though he briefly lost positions, he made a stunning move in Turn 20, overtaking both Bagnaia and his brother Alex to reclaim the lead—an electrifying moment that saw Alex move into second as well.
Marc Finds His Rhythm, Secures the Win
Once back in front, Marc Márquez settled into a strong rhythm, gradually pulling away from Alex. By lap three, the gap had grown to 0.6 seconds. Bagnaia started to lose touch with the leading duo, while further back, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was applying pressure—only to make a costly error at Turn 15. This allowed Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) to move ahead, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46) also closing in.
By lap five, Marc’s lead briefly shrank to 0.4 seconds before he widened it back to 0.6. A fierce battle for fourth unfolded in the mid-pack between the VR46 riders and Quartararo, with multiple position changes over the final four laps. With two laps remaining, Marc extended his lead to 1.4 seconds, while Alex continued to hold off Bagnaia. On the final lap, Alex reduced the gap to 0.7 seconds, raising hopes of a dramatic challenge. But Marc kept his cool, crossing the line to clinch a composed and commanding victory—his third in a row.
Top 5 Dominated by Ducati – Quartararo Impresses
Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli rounded out the top five for VR46. Fabio Quartararo, finishing sixth, put in a valiant effort, hanging on against the superior straight-line speed of the Ducatis. It was Yamaha’s only top-10 finish, earning Quartararo warm congratulations from his team after the race.
Winner – Marc Márquez:
“Honestly, I almost crashed today. I was pushing hard like I did this morning, but the tire conditions were different, and I realized the track grip was low—nearly went down. Still, I had great battles with Pecco and Alex. Once I got into my rhythm, I was able to manage the gap. I made another mistake that let them close in, so I need to clean things up for tomorrow. But the bike is working well.”
2nd – Alex Márquez:
“Finishing second in Texas feels like a win. Marc is on another level right now. I pushed like crazy from the start. The tire conditions were different than in the morning, but overall, I think it was a solid result.”
3rd – Francesco Bagnaia:
“I’m satisfied with the result. I was able to improve lap by lap. It took quite a few laps to become competitive, but I enjoyed the battles. Tomorrow, I want to be in fighting shape from the very first lap.”