Marc Marquez’s winning streak as a factory Ducati rider came to an end after crashing out while leading a damp 2025 Americas MotoGP at COTA.
His mistake handed the victory to team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, with Alex Marquez finishing second and Fabio di Giannantonio completing the podium. As a result, Alex Marquez now leads the world championship standings.
The race began with controversy as Marc Marquez, originally on wet tyres, suddenly sprinted from the grid to swap to his slick bike in the garage. His actions caused a chain reaction, with other riders on wet tyres—including Alex Marquez, di Giannantonio, and Bagnaia—rushing to do the same.
This led to frustration among riders who had already opted for slicks, as the start was delayed, and those who left the grid were allowed to reclaim their original positions. Additional drama unfolded when Maverick Vinales was forced off the grid just before lights out.
Despite the chaotic start, Marc Marquez quickly converted pole position into the race lead, building a two-second gap as he aimed for his first lights-to-flag victory of the season. However, his hopes were dashed when he clipped a kerb just before the halfway mark, crashing out and leaving Bagnaia to take the win.
Franco Morbidelli, Jack Miller, Marco Bezzecchi, Enea Bastianini, and Luca Marini rounded out the top eight.
Meanwhile, injured reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin was in attendance at COTA as a spectator and is expected to make his Aprilia debut in Qatar from April 11-13.
Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori once again filled in for Martin, while Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez made his M1 MotoGP debut in place of the injured Pramac rider Miguel Oliveira.
Vinales’ victory for Aprilia at COTA last season remains the last time Ducati lost a Grand Prix.
