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Francesco Bagnaia claims eventful first win of 2025 in the MotoGP Americas GP

Francesco Bagnaia took full advantage of his factory Ducati team-mate Marc Marquez crashing out of the lead to take an emotional victory in a chaotic Americas GP.

Bagnaia made no mistake after inheriting the lead from Marquez, who had won every sprint and grand prix of the season up until today.

The error was enough for Marc to lose the lead of the world championship to his brother Alex (Gresini Ducati), who moved ahead of Marc by one point after claiming another solid second place.

The run-up to the race was as chaotic as any seen in recent years. It had been raining, and tyre choice was a hot topic of debate. As the warm-up lap approached, only three riders has risked fitting slick tyres: Brad Binder (KTM), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) and Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM).

Then pole man Marc Marquez suddenly set the cat amongst the pigeons by sprinting back towards the pits at the last possible minute before the warm-up lap would have been flagged away. Having decided the track was dry enough after all, his plan was to grab his ‘dry’ second bike from the garage. Many of the top riders, including Alex Marquez and Bagnaia, immediately copied him.

Chaos then ensued, with Maverick Viñales seen trying to wheel his Tech3 KTM through the gap in the pit wall and back onto the grid, where the three slick-shod riders and a few others besides were still waiting in their original positions. It was at this point that race control threw the red flag.

The events of Argentina 2018 immediately sprang to mind, and many would have assumed that those who had caused the situation would have been penalised or made to start from the pits. This was not the case at Austin in 2025, however, and all riders were allowed to take their original spots for the new start.

This caused understandable fury in some quarters, but race organisers were in fact proceeding in accordance with new rules drawn up following last year’s rain-affected Japanese GP. Thus the riders lined up as before, this time with everyone on slicks.

As the Americas GP unfolded…

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team (Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images)

Marc Marquez made a better start than in the Saturday sprint, got into the lead unopposed and set about dominating the race in familiar fashion. Bagnaia initially slotted into fourth behind Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, but quickly dispensed with the VR46 Ducati.

While Marc Marquez stretched his lead to 1.4s by lap 4, Bagnaia needed until then to get past Alex. Marc responded to Bagnaia’s presence in second place immediately by setting fastest lap on lap 5, and appeared to have broken his team-mate’s challenge with a lead of over two seconds by lap nine.

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team (Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images)

Then Marc shocked the world by losing control of his Ducati at Turn 4. He got going again, but he was out of the points with a damaged bike, and was was eventually forced to retire.

That left Bagnaia to streak to a comfortable victory, as Alex failed to offer any serious challenge.

Di Giannantonio claimed the final podium spot after a steady and lonely ride. He finished ahead of his team-mate Franco Morbidelli, who crossed the line in front of of Pramac Yamaha rider Jack Miller and factory Aprilia man Marco Bezzecchi.

In a race of high attrition, Tech3 KTM rider Enea Bastianini took seventh, slow-starting factory Honda man Luca Marini recovered to eighth and Ogura took ninth. Fabio Quartararo rounded out the top 10 after failing to replicate his Saturday sprint form.

Photos from Americas GP - Race

Winner Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

The Factory Redbull KTM bike

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

VR46 Racing Team bike detail

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Luigi Dall'igna, Team Manager of Ducati Corse

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Tyre change

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech 3

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Race start

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team celebrates with Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Sporting Director

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

The new sticker on the bike of Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Marc Marquez, Ducati Teamm Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Corse

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Marc Marquez, Ducati Teamm Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team celebrates with his team

2025 Americas GP - Sunday

MotoGP
63
   
1
 - 
5
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Rider # Bike Laps Time Interval km/h Retirement Points
1 Italy F. Bagnaia Ducati Team 63 Ducati 19

-

      25
2 Spain A. Marquez Gresini Racing 73 Ducati 19

+2.089

2.089

2.089     20
3 Italy F. Di Giannantonio Team VR46 49 Ducati 19

+3.594

3.594

1.505     16
In this article
Richard Asher
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Francesco Bagnaia
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