As the 2025 MotoGP season heads into Round 5 at the iconic Jerez circuit for the Spanish Grand Prix, anticipation is building—especially following last year’s thrilling head-to-head between Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.
The 2024 edition saw Bagnaia narrowly edge out Marquez in one of the most talked-about duels of the season. With both riders now teammates on factory Ducati machinery, fans are hoping for another intense battle. But not everyone is convinced it will happen.
Speaking on the Crash MotoGP Podcast, Senior Journalist Lewis Duncan expressed skepticism over a potential Bagnaia vs. Marquez rematch.
“Everyone is expecting a repeat of last year, hoping for Pecco vs. Marc, Round 2,” Duncan said. “But honestly, I don’t think we’ll see it. Last year, Marc was on a GP23, and even then, it turns out his bike wasn’t really close to the factory-spec GP24.”
Duncan emphasized how Marquez’s performance last year was remarkable given the machinery he had, and that repeating such a battle now—when both are on equal equipment—would require a dramatic shift from Bagnaia.
Currently, Marquez leads the championship standings by 17 points. He’s won all four sprint races and three out of four grands prix in 2025. Bagnaia sits third, 26 points back, having only claimed victory in the Americas GP after Marquez crashed from the lead.
One of Bagnaia’s biggest weaknesses this season has been sprint races. He’s blamed the issue on balance changes caused by the smaller fuel tanks required in these shorter contests, which disrupt his braking feel and front-end stability.
Crash MotoGP Podcast host Jordan Moreland believes Bagnaia’s performance at Jerez will hinge on his sprint race result.
“Bagnaia keeps pointing to the fuel tank issue in sprints. He doesn’t feel confident on the front end and can’t brake how he wants,” Moreland said. “If he can even get a podium in the sprint, that might mentally reset him—like ‘okay, the bike feels right now’.”
Despite these doubts, Bagnaia has an impressive track record at Jerez, winning the last three grand prix races held there. So while a repeat duel with Marquez may not be guaranteed, few would rule out another classic performance from the reigning world champion.
