RACE REPORT | MotoGP Qatar 2025

The MotoGP night race was full of action and surprises. Marc Márquez won after a close fight with Maverick Viñales and Francesco Bagnaia. There were crashes, penalties, and many exciting moments that made the race fun to watch from beginning to end

The race began under the night sky, and Marc Márquez had a perfect start, while his brother Álex looked relaxed. Fabio Quartararo lost a few positions early, but Franco Morbidelli quickly took the lead at Turn 2. Maverick Viñales briefly moved up to third, but Álex Márquez took the position back in the next corner. Fabio Di Giannantonio overtook Quartararo and moved into fifth place. Francesco Bagnaia also started gaining positions, and Di Giannantonio later passed Viñales to take fourth.

Quartararo kept falling back and was soon passed by Bagnaia as well. On Lap 2, Morbidelli began pulling away from the rest of the field, while Jorge Martín climbed up to 19th. Morbidelli set the fastest lap on Lap 3, and Fermín Aldeguer was also having an impressive performance.

Then came the drama: Di Giannantonio made a bold move and overtook Álex Márquez, but when Márquez tried to retake the position, both riders went wide and made contact. The incident was placed under investigation by the race stewards.

Meanwhile, Bagnaia moved up to third behind his teammate. Álex Márquez dropped to seventh, and Di Giannantonio fell to the back of the field. On Lap 5, Morbidelli still held the fastest lap. Álex Márquez was handed a long lap penalty for irresponsible riding. Bagnaia overtook Marc Márquez to take second and also clocked the fastest lap at that point.

Di Giannantonio began slowing down—possibly due to injury or bike damage from the earlier collision. On Lap 6, Álex Márquez served his penalty and dropped to 12th place. Ai Ogura impressed by climbing to ninth. At the front, Morbidelli maintained a comfortable lead, while a Ducati battle began between Marc Márquez and Bagnaia for second place. Bagnaia briefly lost ground and dropped to fourth as Marc moved up, with Viñales close behind.

On Lap 9, a yellow flag was triggered by Jack Miller, who crashed but managed to rejoin the race. Marc Márquez started closing the gap to Morbidelli, with Viñales in pursuit. On Lap 10, Viñales made a clean move at Turn 1 to take second place.

Di Giannantonio's day went from bad to worse—after more contact, his bike sustained further damage. Viñales then caught up to Morbidelli and overtook him at Turn 1 to take the lead. Marc Márquez moved into second, pushing Morbidelli down to third.

There was a brief fight between Bagnaia and Morbidelli for third, with Bagnaia eventually making the pass stick after several turns. Up front, Viñales and Marc Márquez began pulling away from the rest of the field. Álex Márquez and Pedro Acosta were battling for seventh.

On Lap 13, Joan Mir retired from the race. A yellow flag came out on Lap 14 due to a crash by Augusto Fernández. Soon after, Jorge Martín also crashed, making contact with Di Giannantonio—adding to Di Giannantonio’s unlucky day.

On Lap 17, Viñales made a mistake, allowing Marc Márquez to take the lead. Quartararo moved up to eighth place, and Marco Bezzecchi climbed to tenth on Lap 18. It was announced that Jorge Martín was being checked at the medical center.

Marc Márquez set the fastest lap on Lap 19. On Lap 20, Morbidelli overtook Johann Zarco to reclaim fourth place. The final two laps were relatively calm, with no major changes.

Marc Márquez safely brought it home for the win, continuing Ducati’s winning streak. Maverick Viñales finished second, and Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the podium in third.

2025 Qatar Grand Prix results