It was a rollercoaster of emotions for the Marquez brothers during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. Championship leader Marc Marquez suffered an early crash, while younger brother Alex Marquez celebrated a stunning maiden MotoGP victory.
Alex, after three runner-up finishes this season, finally secured his first win, marking Ducati’s 22nd consecutive premier-class victory — equalling Honda’s all-time record set between 1987 and 1997. His triumph also delivered Spain’s 200th win in the premier class, while Fabio Quartararo returned Yamaha to the podium for the first time since 2023 with a hard-fought second place.
Francesco Bagnaia managed to fend off a late charge from KTM’s Maverick Vinales to claim third, while Alex’s win saw him retake the MotoGP title lead.
The race opened explosively with Quartararo maintaining the lead from pole, as Bagnaia jumped ahead of Marc Marquez, who appeared to struggle with his holeshot device. After some close calls between the Marquez brothers and a shoulder-to-shoulder clash between Marc and Bagnaia, disaster struck for Marc when he crashed at Turn 8 on lap 4.
Despite riding a damaged bike, Marc Marquez put in a heroic comeback, carving through the field to finish 12th. His tyre pressures, likely set for leading clear air, might have contributed to the early fall.
Alex Marquez, however, stayed composed, overtaking Bagnaia and then Quartararo for the lead on lap 11. From there, he gradually pulled clear, while Quartararo defended valiantly against Bagnaia and Vinales in a thrilling three-way battle that ultimately remained unchanged.
VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the line a lonely fifth, followed by a KTM trio of Brad Binder, Pedro Acosta, and Fermin Aldeguer.
There were further casualties, with Franco Morbidelli, Joan Mir, and Fermin Aldeguer all crashing out. Jack Miller retired with a technical issue, while Somkiat Chantra pulled out due to arm pump.
All riders opted for medium rear tyres for the full-distance race after using softs in the Sprint.
Aleix Espargaro, making his Honda wildcard debut, finished 14th but was investigated post-race for low tyre pressure. Jorge Martin’s injury meant Lorenzo Savadori continued to stand in at Aprilia, while Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez again replaced Miguel Oliveira at Pramac.
The first official in-season MotoGP test of 2025 is scheduled for Monday at Jerez.
