The 2025 MotoGP season so far
21 May 2025The 2025 MotoGP season was expected to be dominated by Marc Márquez before it’d even begun, and although the eight-time champion has established himself as the rider to beat, he hasn’t had it all his own way this year.
Challengers have emerged from likely and unlikely places to claim victory in races where the Spaniard has faltered, and until the last round in France, Marc stranglehold on the standings was very much under threat.
Here’s how the season has panned out so far in 2025…
Marc hits the ground running
As expected, Marc and a factory Ducati proved a potent combination from day one. From the first four rounds, he won seven of eight races (GPs and Sprints) despite intense pressure from his brother and team-mate at each event.
The only blot on his copybook from that first quartet of events was crashing out of the lead during the Circuit of the Americas Grand Prix. Ominous form indeed.
At his home race in Jerez, the wheels would once again fall off Marc’s wagon as he crashed from the leading group. That allowed Álex Márquez to snatch the lead in the points, a fact Marc swiftly rectified in France.
The French Grand Prix saw Marc take a sixth Sprint victory from six attempts this season, and he followed it up with a measured, composed ride to second in treacherous conditions in the Grand Prix.
It was a performance that highlighted he can dial back his pace and bring home points when he needs to, something he’ll need to utilise much more this year if he’s to take the title. He now sits 22 points clear in the standings.
A maiden win at home
As has often been the case for Álex Márquez, the first four events of the year were spent in his brother’s shadow, coming home second to Marc in six of the first eight races and, indeed, all of the Sprints so far in 2025.
But at Jerez, Álex turned the tide in his favour, taking full advantage of his brother’s misdemeanour to take a commanding victory in front of a delighted Spanish crowd.
With that, he edged ahead in the standings, albeit briefly, and were it not for his own crash in France, the title battle would be even tighter heading to Silverstone.
Pecco strikes back
Francesco Bagnaia had been slightly adrift of the Márquez brothers in the first two rounds, but when Marc’s American dream was crushed, Pecco pounced. His first win of the year in Texas kickstarted his campaign and brought him within touching distance of the top of the standings.
With two more Grand Prix podiums in Qatar and Jerez that followed, Bagnaia’s consistency kept him in touch but crashing out of both the Sprint and the Grand Prix in France meant he slipped to over two wins behind current points leader Marc.
If Pecco is to truly compete for this year’s title, he must rediscover his form of the past three years, deploying it at venues where Márquez considers himself untouchable like the Sachsenring to unsettle his team-mate.
If he’s able to do that while maintaining his early-season consistency, he may well still be a factor in the title battle.
Zarco weathers the storm
Johann Zarco became the first French rider to win on home soil since Pierre Monneret in 1954, ending a 71-year wait for local fans.
An incredibly mature performance saw him become the first non-Ducati rider to win a Grand Prix in 22 races.
