Marc Márquez Defeats Brother in Head-to-Head Battle to Regain Championship Lead
Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) continued his unbeaten streak in Saturday Sprint races for the 2025 season, taking a pole-to-win victory in the Tissot Sprint at Lusail. He held off his younger brother, Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), to reclaim the lead in the championship standings. Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) secured third place after fending off fierce late-race challenges from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and rookie Fermín Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP).
Márquez Brothers Dominate While Bagnaia Struggles
Starting from pole, Marc Márquez got off to a great launch, followed closely by Alex Márquez and Fabio Quartararo. At Turn 4, Morbidelli and rookie Aldeguer battled for P4, but Aldeguer was squeezed out by Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol), causing him to drop positions.
Further back, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) improved from 11th on the grid to 8th by the end of Lap 1. However, he soon lost ground after being overtaken by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), and Jorge Martín (Aprilia Racing).
Mid-Race: Marc Pulls Ahead, Intense Battle for the Podium
Marc Márquez gradually extended his lead over Alex from 0.3 to 0.5 seconds, even setting the fastest lap mid-race. Alex responded with his personal best times, keeping the sibling duel alive. Meanwhile, Aldeguer mounted a strong comeback, passing Viñales for P5 with four laps to go. Taking advantage of a mistake by Zarco, Bagnaia moved up from P11 to P10, closing in on Acosta and Ogura.
Final Laps: Fierce Fight for 3rd Place
With three laps to go, Marc Márquez extended his lead to 1.2 seconds, virtually securing victory. Behind him, the battle for third place intensified between Morbidelli, Quartararo, and Aldeguer. Bagnaia overtook Acosta at Turn 4 to climb to 9th and reenter the points. On the final lap, Quartararo and Aldeguer closed in on Morbidelli. At the last corner, Quartararo made a mistake, allowing Aldeguer to snatch P4. The Márquez brothers completed a 1-2 finish, with Morbidelli narrowly holding onto the final podium spot.
Sprint Race Results – Qatar GP (MotoGP 2025)
| Pos | No. | Rider | Manufacturer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Marc Márquez | DUCATI | 20’38.304 |
| 2 | 9 | Alex Márquez | DUCATI | 20’39.881 |
| 3 | 7 | Franco Morbidelli | DUCATI | 20’42.292 |
| 4 | 6 | Fermín Aldeguer | DUCATI | 20’42.673 |
| 5 | 5 | Fabio Quartararo | YAMAHA | 20’42.897 |
| 6 | 4 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | DUCATI | 20’43.403 |
| 7 | 3 | Ai Ogura | APRILIA | 20’48.503 |
| 8 | 2 | Francesco Bagnaia | DUCATI | 20’48.638 |
| 9 | 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | APRILIA | 20’49.604 |
| 10 | 12 | Maverick Viñales | KTM | 20’50.858 |
| 11 | 37 | Pedro Acosta | KTM | 20’51.980 |
| 12 | 42 | Alex Rins | YAMAHA | 20’52.577 |
| 13 | 23 | Enea Bastianini | KTM | 20’52.712 |
| 14 | 33 | Brad Binder | KTM | 20’53.763 |
| 15 | 10 | Luca Marini | HONDA | 20’53.891 |
| 16 | 1 | Jorge Martín | APRILIA | 20’54.079 |
| 17 | 25 | Raúl Fernández | APRILIA | 20’54.621 |
| 18 | 7 | Augusto Fernández | YAMAHA | 20’56.226 |
| 19 | 43 | Jack Miller | YAMAHA | 20’58.578 |
| 20 | 35 | Somkiat Chantra | HONDA | 21’09.410 |