Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez were given a second chance to race after early crashes in the 2025 British MotoGP at Silverstone, thanks to a specific MotoGP rule.
Both riders fell within the opening laps—Alex on Lap 1 and Marc shortly after—before the race was red-flagged due to a separate incident involving oil on the track caused by a crash between Franco Morbidelli and Aleix Espargaro.
Despite crashing, the Marquez brothers, along with Morbidelli and Espargaro, were allowed to restart. This was due to Article 1.25.2 in the MotoGP regulations, which states that if fewer than three laps are completed by the race leader, the event is considered null and void, and a full restart must be conducted.
The rule also notes that if a restart isn’t possible, the race will be cancelled and not count toward the championship.
According to Article 1.26.4, all riders are eligible to restart under these circumstances, regardless of whether they completed the warm-up or sighting lap. Teams are permitted to repair or change bikes and refuel during this period.
This allowed the Marquez brothers to rejoin the grid in their original qualifying positions.
After the restart, Marc Marquez worked his way back through the field to secure a third-place finish, while Alex Marquez finished fifth. It was a significant recovery for both after what looked like an early end to their race.
Fabio Quartararo had led the restart comfortably until a mechanical failure with his ride height device forced his retirement. That opened the door for Marco Bezzecchi, who went on to claim victory for Aprilia.
