Marc Marquez’s winning streak is over, but it’s match point as MotoGP heads to Motegi

A dramatic double-header saw MotoGP fans experiencing every emotion as Championship battles continued across all three classes, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Alongside the intense on-track action, additional MotoGP rider contracts were confirmed, as well as an upcoming change in team ownership that will create new links between MotoGP and F1.

Alex Marquez wins Grand Prix of Catalonia, ending Marc Marquez’s winning streak

Setting a new all-time lap record in Barcelona during qualifying, Alex Marquez had set himself up for a high-scoring weekend, but after crashing out of the lead during the Sprint, the younger Marquez brother was eager to redeem himself in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Despite Marc Marquez taking an early lead, the beginning of Lap 4 saw Alex side-by-side with his brother and Championship rival, pulling off a bold overtake to move into 1st. Riding a brilliant race that Marc just couldn’t match, Alex took his second Grand Prix victory of 2025, ending Marc Marquez’s streak of 15 consecutive wins across Sprints and Grands Prix.

Daniel Holgado takes maiden Moto2 win, making it two in a row for Aspar

After teammate David Alonso took his first Moto2 victory at Balaton Park, it was Daniel Holgado’s time to shine at the Grand Prix of Catalonia. Starting from pole position, Holgado put on an incredible display of dominance as he led each of the 21 laps without any significant challenge, and became the ninth different race winner in the Moto2 class in 2025, giving the CFMOTO Aspar Team another reason to celebrate.

Stunning last lap move sees Piqueras take victory from Rueda

Moto3 once again provided fans with nail-biting moments and fearless racing, and as the final lap began at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the leading group of ten riders was covered by just 1 second. Going into Turn 1 for the final time, Angel Piqueras took the lead as Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda went from 1st to 4th. Rued fought his way back up during the final lap to finish 2nd, an impressive feat considering a long lap penalty saw Rueda drop down to 15th on Lap 3. Taiyo Furusato achieved a 3rd place finish, from 11th on the grid, with Piqueras taking the victory - marking the third consecutive Grand Prix where Piqueras lessened the gap to Championship leader Rueda.

Marco Bezzecchi victorious in Misano Sprint, as Marc Marquez DNFs

Securing pole position at his home circuit, Marco Bezzecchi fought off advances from the two Marquez brothers to lead the opening laps, until Lap 6 saw an overtake from Marc Marquez, and a gap immediately began to form. But a rare mistake from Marquez saw him crash out of the lead at Turn 15, marking his first Sprint DNF of the 2025 season. Bezzecchi handled the pressure of the home crowd remarkably, taking the victory and becoming the first rider to win Sprints for two different manufacturers.

Marc Marquez wins Misano Grand Prix, ensuring his first opportunity to clinch 2025 Championship next time out at Motegi

Despite crashing out of Saturday’s Sprint, claiming the Grand Prix victory on Sunday means Marc Marquez has enough points to potentially be crowned the 2025 MotoGP World Champion next time out at Motegi. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider needs to end the weekend having outscored Alex Marquez by three points, which may seem easily achievable given Marc’s outstanding performance this season, but as the Misano Sprint showed, even an eight-time World Champion can make mistakes when under pressure.

KTM’s Factory teammates both impacted by chain issues during San Marino GP weekend

A challenging weekend for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing saw three separate instances of chain failures - an issue that is far from common in MotoGP. The chain on Brad Binder’s KTM snapped during two of the weekend’s practice sessions, once on Friday and then again on Saturday, but most unfortunately, the same issue also saw Binder’s teammate Pedro Acosta having to retire from Sunday’s Grand Prix, after a promising start saw him climb to 4th position.

Bagnaia’s 2025 struggles continue as he fails to score points at Misano

Double MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was declared mathematically out of contention for the 2025 title after a disappointing Misano Sprint saw him finish 13th, a whole sixteen seconds behind winner Bezzecchi. A crash and subsequent DNF during the Grand Prix the following day solidified the weekend as one to forget for Bagnaia, whose struggles see him now at risk of losing his position of 3rd in the Championship standings, with Bezzecchi only 8 points behind.

Vietti achieves a home victory in Moto2

Starting from 2nd on the grid, home favourite Celestino Vietti got a fantastic start and led into the first corner, and maintained that lead throughout. Despite a late charge from Barry Baltus, who was lapping a second quicker than Vietti towards the end of the Grand Prix, Vietti held onto the lead and took his first win of 2025, and his second consecutive victory at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Rueda takes victory in Moto3 with final corner overtake

The Moto3 grid produced another amazingly unpredictable race, full of seemingly impossible overtakes and spectacular displays of talent. With Maximo Quiles leading for the majority of the last lap, he looked the likely candidate for victory at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, but a brave move into the final corner saw Jose Antonio Rueda putting everything on the line to secure the win, and scoring important points to extend his lead in the Championship standings.

Yamaha’s V4 public debut with test rider Augusto Fernandez

The development of Yamaha’s V4 has been a huge topic of conversation over the last couple of seasons in MotoGP, but had been a very private affair, until it was publicly debuted at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez joined the grid for Round 16 to gain valuable race data, and came away with useful insights, along with two Championship points, having finished 14th in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Morbidelli and Miller to stay with current teams for 2026

Prior to the Grand Prix of Catalonia, it was confirmed that Franco Morbidelli and Jack Miller will remain with their current teams for the 2026 season. For the VR46 Racing Team, the announcement was confirmation that their rider lineup remains unchanged for the last season of the current MotoGP regulations, as Morbidelli will continue alongside teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio. Prima Pramac Yamaha’s announcement that Miller would be continuing with them in 2026 ended the long-standing speculation surrounding which of their current riders would be teammates with the incoming Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, and formally leaves Miguel Oliveira without a full-time spot on the grid for 2026.

These announcements mean there is now only one seat left unconfirmed for the 2026 season - the second LCR seat, alongside Johann Zarco.

Guenther Steiner leads consortium of buyers for Tech3 KTM team

In a Special Press Conference during Friday's action at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, it was formally announced that Guenther Steiner will enter the MotoGP paddock in 2026, as CEO of Red Bull KTM Tech3. Leading a consortium that will acquire full ownership of the MotoGP and Moto3 teams, the former F1 Team Principal is looking to build upon the legacy built by current owner Hervé Poncharal, who will move into a consultancy role from 1st January.

Round 17 begins on 26th September at Mobility Resort Motegi - will we see the 2025 MotoGP World Championship battle decided? Or will Alex Marquez continue to keep his title hopes alive?