Francesco Bagnaia braved chaotic conditions at the COTA to claim a dramatic 2025 Americas MotoGP win as Marc Marquez crashed out of the race.
The race, held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas was marked by controversy, crashes, and strategic brilliance which saw the two-time MotoGP world champion capitalize on a rare mistake by his Ducati Lenovo teammate to secure his first win of the season.
Francesco Bagnaia’s Americas MotoGP win not only ended Marc Marquez’s perfect start to the year but also provided Ducati with their 20th consecutive premier-class victory, edging closer to Honda’s record of 22.
The day began with chaos on the grid as unpredictable weather conditions played havoc with team strategies. Rain had dampened the circuit prompting riders to initially equip their bikes with wet tires.
However, as the track began to dry, pole-sitter Marquez made a last-minute decision to switch to slick tires. His dash back to the pits triggered a chain reaction among other riders resulting in an aborted start and a shortened race of 19 laps.
Despite the confusion, the Spaniard’s quick thinking ensured he avoided any regulatory penalties since he had not yet mounted his bike.
When the race finally got underway, Marquez demonstrated why he is regarded as one of MotoGP’s finest. Starting from pole position, he quickly established a commanding lead showcasing his unmatched pace and precision around COTA—a track where he has historically excelled.
Behind him, Francesco Bagnaia launched from sixth on the grid and steadily climbed through the ranks. By lap four, Bagnaia had overtaken Alex Marquez for third place and began chasing down his teammate.
Marquez appeared untouchable until disaster struck on lap nine when he lost control on a wet kerb while navigating Turn 4 and crashed out of the lead.
The Marc Marquez crash not only ended his bid for a much deserved 2025 Americas MotoGP win but also his streak of consecutive victories in both sprint and main races this season.
With Marquez out of contention, Bagnaia inherited the lead and faced mounting pressure from Alex Marquez who was riding for Gresini Racing on a satellite Ducati.
Bagnaia managed to maintain a slim two-second advantage over the younger Marquez by leveraging his braking strength in Sector 3 of the circuit.
READ ALSO:
- Full 2025 Americas MotoGP Race Results
- MotoGP America Sprint race: Marc Marquez leads Ducati 1-5, remains unbeaten in 2025
- Marc Marquez storms into MotoGP COTA pole
- Watch Marc Marquez suffer first crash as a factory Ducati rider
Speaking after the race, Bagnaia acknowledged that his 2025 Americas MotoGP win was partly due to luck but emphasized his team’s hard work in adapting to challenges with the GP25 bike. He described it as an “incredible feeling” to finally win at COTA after struggling in earlier rounds of the season.
Alex Marquez’s second-place finish marked another strong performance for Gresini Racing and propelled him to the top of the riders’ championship standings with 87 points—just one ahead of his older brother Marc.
Fabio Di Giannantonio completed an all-Ducati podium in third place for VR46 Racing Team, delivering one of his best performances this season.
Further down the field, Di Giannantonio’s teammate Franco Morbidelli secured fourth place followed by Jack Miller in fifth for Pramac Yamaha. Marco Bezzecchi finished sixth on an Aprilia machine ahead of Enea Bastianini from Tech3 KTM in seventh.
Honda’s Luca Marini took eighth place, while Ai Ogura and Fabio Quartararo rounded out the top ten.
The race was not without its share of attrition as only 17 riders were classified as finishers due to crashes and mechanical issues.
Johann Zarco crashed while battling for a top-ten position, while KTM’s Brad Binder retired with a technical problem despite running as high as fifth earlier in the race.
Honda’s Joan Mir and KTM rookie Pedro Acosta also failed to finish after suffering crashes during qualifying and earlier sessions.
Despite the setbacks for some riders, Bagnaia’s 2025 Americas MotoGP win marked a significant turning point in his season.
After struggling with braking issues on the new GP25 bike during pre-season testing and initial races, the victory could provide much-needed momentum as MotoGP heads into its fourth round in Qatar.
