AUSTIN: Ducati’s Marc Marquez maintained his perfect start to the 2025 MotoGP season when the polesitter won the Americas Grand Prix sprint on Saturday to remain undefeated and extend his lead in the championship.

Marquez had become the first rider to claim eight poles at a single circuit when he set the fastest time in qualifying earlier on Saturday and a fifth win in five sprints and races this season moved Marquez to 86 points.

Marquez’s brother and closest competitor Alex of Gresini Racing finished second once again, less than a second behind, to move up to 67 points while factory Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium.

“Too close, too close! The track condition changed a lot with the warm temperature. On the first lap I was pushing in a normal way like this morning but suddenly I realised that the grip of the track was worse,” Marc said.

“It was super close but it was a nice fight there against Pecco (Bagnaia) and Alex. But in the end, when I put my rhythm I tried to control the gap. I did another mistake but then I pushed again.”

Despite starting on the second row, it was Bagnaia who stormed off the line from sixth to take the lead into turn one and then again on turn three before Marc took the place back as the two Ducati team-mates aggressively battled for position.

Marc nearly lost control of his bike on lap one, allowing Alex and Bagnaia to overtake him. But the polesitter was in no mood to finish third, immediately regaining the lead with a daring overtake to set the tone for the sprint.

But once Marc had clear air in front of him at the Circuit of the Americas, he peeled away with Alex in tow as the two brothers put some distance between themselves and Bagnaia in third.

Alex tried his best to catch up but Marc was in a league of his own and the younger brother was satisfied with second place.

“To be second here in Texas is like a win. If you’re second after Marc, it’s like a win because he’s on another level,” Alex said.

Behind them, Fabio Quartararo was the lone Yamaha bravely jostling for position alongside the two Italian VR46 Racing riders, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli.

Quartararo, however, did not have the pace of the VR46 machines, especially on the long straights, as the Frenchman settled for sixth place with Ducati bikes completing the top five.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2025