MotoGP 2025 Season Recap: Legendary Battles, Dramatic Moments, and a Comeback for the Ages
21 November 2025The 2025 MotoGP season had it all - chaotic race starts, intense battles, thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing, and of course, one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time.
We had a total of seven different Grand Prix winners across the season, with three of those riders claiming their first victory in the premier class.
But the drama began unfolding before the riders had touched down in Bangkok for the season launch event, with reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin ruled out of the season opener after sustaining fractures in his left hand in a training crash.
Round 1 - PT Grand Prix of Thailand
- Circuit Name: Chang International Circuit
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
It truly was the dream debut weekend in Ducati red for Marquez, as he became the first rider to win their debut Grand Prix with the factory Ducati team since Casey Stoner in 2007. Confusion came on Lap 7 when Marc Marquez sat up, looked behind him and visibly slowed down, allowing Alex Marquez to take the lead, a move which was later confirmed to be due to concerns around his tyre pressure. After following behind the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP rider, Marc Marquez retook the lead with four laps to go, and Alex was unable to fight back, finishing 2nd, ahead of Francesco Bagnaia in 3rd.
An early battle between rookie Ai Ogura and Franco Morbidelli for 4th ultimately went the way of Morbidelli, but a top 5 finish for Ogura in his first MotoGP race was an impressive feat. Also impressive was the performance of KTM riders Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini, who climbed their way up through the field to finish 8th and 9th, after qualifying 14th and 20th respectively.
Round 2 - Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina
- Circuit Name: Termas de Río Hondo
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
There was drama at the opening corner, as Marco Bezzecchi failed to get his Aprilia stopped, leading to contact between him and Fabio Quartararo, damaging the Yamaha and taking Bezzecchi’s Aprilia out of the race. Alex Marquez didn’t make the win easy for his brother, as he led for most of the race. It was clear Marc was pushing hard to try and overtake Alex, with the Ducati Lenovo Team rider managing some treacherous moments onboard the GP25, before making the pass and taking the victory, equalling Angel Nieto’s record of 90 wins across all classes. Although Bagnaia worked to close the gap during the final lap, Morbidelli held him off to achieve his first Grand Prix podium in 71 races with a 3rd place finish, whilst an intense last lap battle between Di Giannantonio and Zarco for 5th saw Di Giannantonio take the position at the chequered flag.
Round 3 - Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas
- Circuit Name: Circuit of the Americas
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Francesco Bagnaia
Changeable conditions resulted in chaos before the start of the Grand Prix, as Marc Marquez ran off of the grid to change his bike, with several riders following him, as they sprinted down pit lane. Whilst riders who were happy with their tyre choices remained on the grid, waiting for the lights to go out, the teams of those riders frantically moved their rejected bikes off of the grid, and in the confusion, Maverick Viñales was left on the grid without a bike to race with.
After a delayed start to the Grand Prix, which allowed all riders to start from their original grid positions, Marc Marquez was out in front with a two second lead over Bagnaia and Alex Marquez. Marc’s winning streak was about to come to an end though, as slightly touching a damp kerb on Lap 9 saw him DNF for the first time in 2025. Seizing the opportunity, Bagnaia got ahead of Alex Marquez to claim his first Grand Prix win of the season, with Alex Marquez finishing in 2nd, and Di Giannantonio taking the final podium spot, his first of 2025.
Round 4 - Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar
- Circuit Name: Lusail International Circuit
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez once again got a brilliant start from pole, but contact between the Marquez brothers saw Morbidelli take the lead, with Marc running in 2nd. A battle for 3rd between Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio saw huge contact, taking Alex down to 8th and Di Giannantonio 21st, with Marquez being given a long lap penalty for the incident. We saw a KTM running in the top three for the first time in 2025 with Viñales overtaking Bagnaia, then closing in on Marquez and Morbidelli to take the lead. Bagnaia was later able to catch up to and overtake Morbidelli, crossing the line in 3rd. With seven laps to go, Marc Marquez took back the lead as Viñales ran wide, but the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 team were thrilled to see Viñales cross the line in 2nd. However, it was then heartbreak for Viñales and his team, as a tyre pressure infringement saw him receive a 16 second penalty, dropping the KTM rider to 14th, promoting Morbidelli to a podium finish, with Bagnaia’s podium being upgraded from 3rd to 2nd.
Round 5 - Estrella Galicia 0.0 Grand Prix of Spain
- Circuit Name: Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto
- Pole: Fabio Quartararo
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Alex Marquez
Fabio Quartararo was able to lead into the first corner from pole position, whilst Bagnaia and Marc Marquez were embroiled in a fierce battle behind him. A masterful move from Alex Marquez saw him narrowly avoid contact with the two Ducati Lenovo Team riders as he struggled to get his bike stopped, taking him down to 5th, but quickly making his way back up to 4th. The battle between the teammates ended on Lap 3 when Marc Marquez crashed out of 3rd place, rejoining to eventually finish 12th. Recognising the opportunity that had presented itself, Alex Marquez went for it, smoothly overtaking Bagnaia and later Quartararo, to take his first MotoGP victory, and the lead of the Championship by five points over his brother. Quartararo’s 2nd place finish saw him on the Grand Prix podium for the first time since the 2023 Indonesian Grand Prix, with Bagnaia finishing 3rd.
Round 6 - Michelin Grand Prix of France
- Circuit Name: Le Mans
- Pole: Fabio Quartararo
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Johann Zarco
Weather conditions once again caused chaos in 2025, as steady rainfall and white flags saw every rider enter pit lane after the warm up lap to change their bikes, resulting in an aborted start.
With a wet race formally declared, and race distance reduced to 26 laps, it was clear that we were set for a confusing but highly entertaining race, as over half of the riders came back down pit lane after the sighting lap to change onto their bikes fitted with slick tyres - automatically giving all of these riders double long lap penalties to serve during the race. The Grand Prix finally got underway, and as the rain intensified, we saw multiple crashes and unsteady moments, as riders attempted to strategise when to swap to their bikes with wet tyres, and when to take their penalties. But nobody judged the conditions and analysed the data better than Johann Zarco and the LCR Honda team. Zarco was one of the few riders to start the race on wet tyres, and was in the perfect position to take the lead of the race on Lap 8, as the riders ahead of him entered the pits for their bike swaps. It was an incredible display of intelligent riding and making the right decisions at the right time, and French fans were ecstatic as Zarco crossed the line, becoming the first French rider to win their home Grand Prix since 1954.
A 2nd place finish for Marc Marquez saw him retake the Championship lead with Alex Marquez crashing on Lap 21, and Aldeguer took his first MotoGP Grand Prix podium, finishing 3rd.
Round 7 - Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom
- Circuit Name: Silverstone Circuit
- Pole: Fabio Quartararo
- Sprint Winner: Alex Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marco Bezzecchi
A restarted Grand Prix due to an oil spillage at Vale from an incident involving Morbidelli and Aleix Espargaro gave lifelines to both Marquez brothers, after they suffered early crashes in the original start. Quartararo’s impressive pace saw him riding over four seconds ahead of the field, with a long-awaited return to the top step of the podium looking likely, until heartbreak on Lap 12, when he was forced to retire from the Grand Prix due to a rear ride height device failure. Quartararo’s retirement saw Bezzecchi take over at the front, and become the eleventh different consecutive MotoGP Grand Prix winner at Silverstone, as he took his first victory with Aprilia by a comfortable margin - a particularly important victory for Aprilia, as rumours had begun circulating that Jorge Martin was looking to potentially end his contract with the team. Zarco achieved back-to-back podiums with a 2nd place finish, with Marc Marquez victorious in a late battle with Franco Morbidelli to finish 3rd, extending his Championship lead.
Round 8 - GoPro Grand Prix of Aragón
- Circuit Name: MotorLand Aragón
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez absolutely dominated the field, topping every session across the weekend, with Alex Marquez having to settle for another 2nd place finish in the Grand Prix with Bagnaia once again joining the podium in 3rd. A small scuffle between Fermin Aldeguer and Morbidelli occurred in the opening laps, but the real battle commenced towards the end of the race, with some incredible late braking and daring overtakes that culminated in contact between the two riders, though thankfully both managed to remain on-track.
Just two days later, it was announced that Toprak Razgatlıoğlu would be joining the MotoGP grid for 2026, riding for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team, providing confirmation that at least one of this year’s riders would not be on the grid next season.
Round 9 - Brembo Grand Prix of Italy
- Circuit Name: Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
A fiery battle during the first laps between Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez had the crowd in Mugello on their feet, though Bagnaia eventually fell back as he couldn’t match the pace of the Marquez brothers, once again struggling to find his form on the GP25. The fight for 4th saw Morbidelli receive a long lap penalty for an incident that took Viñales out of the race, but the penalty was then taken incorrectly, causing Morbidelli to be issued with another. The later laps saw Di Giannantonio carefully studying Bagnaia, before overtaking him to finish 3rd. The Grand Prix marked Marc’s 93rd victory, and saw his lead in the Championship extend to 40 points over Alex Marquez, and 110 to Bagnaia in 3rd.
Round 10 - Motul Grand Prix of the Netherlands
- Circuit Name: TT Circuit Assen
- Pole: Fabio Quartararo
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
It was a fantastic start from Bagnaia from the middle of the front row, who led the first few laps of the race until his teammate lunged through at the end of Lap 5, to take the lead and never look back. As the race continued, Bezzecchi climbed up to 2nd from 5th on the grid, closing in on Marquez, but never quite close enough to make the pass. Bagnaia and Acosta stayed within reach of the leading duo for most of the race, but both riders dropped back in the closing laps of the Grand Prix, finishing 3rd and 4th. It was a disastrous weekend for Alex Marquez’s Championship hopes, after crashing out of the Grand Prix whilst fighting with Acosta for 5th, and requiring surgery for a fractured left hand.
Round 11 - Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany
- Circuit Name: Sachsenring
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
We reached the halfway stage of the 2025 championship with only 18 riders participating in the weekend’s Grand Prix due to injuries and illness. One of the more notable incidents being Viñales’ crash in qualifying, which caused a complicated shoulder injury that would greatly impact the second half of his season. The Grand Prix was a true race of attrition, with only ten riders making it to the chequered flag. Both Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi crashed out of 2nd place, moving Alex Marquez and Bagnaia up to finish 2nd and 3rd respectively, as Marc Marquez was once again crowned King of the Ring.
Round 12 - Tissot Grand Prix of Czechia
- Circuit Name: Automotodrom Brno
- Pole: Francesco Bagnaia
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
The final race before the summer break saw Marc Marquez become the first Ducati rider to win five Grands Prix in a row, with his lead in the Championship extended to 120 points over Alex Marquez, who crashed out of 7th, taking Joan Mir with him. Acosta picked up his first Grand Prix podium of the season with a 3rd place finish, and Bezzecchi finished in a respectable 2nd place, having led the first part of the race. It was a positive Grand Prix result for both sides of the Aprilia Racing garage, as Jorge Martin achieved an admirable 7th place finish in his first Sunday race since Qatar.
Round 13 - BWIN Grand Prix of Austria
- Circuit Name: Red Bull Ring - Spielberg
- Pole: Marco Bezzecchi
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
The return from the summer break gave us more impressive riding from Bezzecchi, making the most of a battle between Bagnaia and Marc Marquez to build up a gap during the initial laps. But once Marquez got past Bagnaia, he immediately began hunting down the Aprilia, and Lap 19 saw a fantastic battle between the two riders as they fought for the lead, until Marquez was able to make an overtake stick, and began pulling away. Strong late race pace from Aldeguer saw him catch up to and pass Bezzecchi, giving him his best result in MotoGP to date with a 2nd place trophy, joined by Bezzecchi who finished 3rd. More promising results came out of the weekend for the KTM riders of Acosta and Bastianini who picked up 4th and 5th place, and Honda HRC Castrol’s Mir achieved his best finish of the season so far, in 6th. Despite a positive start, Bagnaia’s pace on the GP25 couldn’t see him finish higher than 8th, and Alex Marquez finished 10th, after serving a long lap penalty during the Grand Prix, from the incident with Mir in Brno.
Round 14 - Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary
- Circuit Name: Balaton Park
- Pole: Marc Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
The first Hungarian round in the Motorcycle Grand Prix Championship since 1992 saw Marc Marquez extend his lead in the Championship to 175 points, after finishing over four seconds ahead of Acosta, with Bezzecchi taking 3rd. Finishing just one position behind his teammate, Jorge Martin’s 4th place finish was his strongest performance of the season so far, and was particularly impressive having started from 16th on the grid. Away from the on-track action, contract extensions were confirmed for Luca Marini and Johann Zarco with their current teams, leaving very few unconfirmed spots left on the grid for 2026.
Round 15 - Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalonia
- Circuit Name: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
- Pole: Alex Marquez
- Sprint Winner: Marc Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Alex Marquez
Although Marc Marquez had an early lead in the Grand Prix, it wasn’t long until a bold move from Alex Marquez saw him pass his brother and move into 1st. Taking his second Grand Prix victory of the season with a pace that couldn’t be matched, and ending Marc Marquez’s streak of 15 consecutive wins across Sprints and Grands Prix, Alex Marquez was determined to keep his hat in the ring for the Championship battle. A commendable ride by Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Enea Bastianini saw him take the 3rd place trophy, a podium with heightened significance as two days prior, it was formally announced that Guenther Steiner was leading a consortium that would acquire full ownership of the MotoGP and Moto3 KTM Tech 3 teams.
We also saw additional contract announcements, as Morbidelli was confirmed as a rider for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 MotoGP Team again for 2026, and speculation surrounding who would be teammates with Razgatlıoğlu ended, as Jack Miller was announced as their other rider for the 2026 season.
Round 16 - Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera
- Circuit Name: Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
- Pole: Marco Bezzecchi
- Sprint Winner: Marco Bezzecchi
- Grand Prix Winner: Marc Marquez
Grand Prix victory number eleven of the season for Marc Marquez put him in the position to potentially clinch the 2025 World Championship at the next round. Bezzecchi had fought well with the Championship leader during the Grand Prix, but had to accept a 2nd place finish, with Alex Marquez over seven seconds behind them in 3rd. Whilst Marc and his team celebrated, on the other side of the Ducati Lenovo Team garage, it was a different story for Bagnaia, as the two-time MotoGP World Champion was mathematically ruled out of contention for the 2025 title after a double DNF.
Meanwhile, Yamaha publicly debuted their V4 engine with test rider Augusto Fernandez competing in the Grand Prix and picking up points in 14th, whilst collecting valuable data for the engine’s continuing development.
Round 17 - Motul Grand Prix of Japan
- Circuit Name: Mobility Resort Motegi
- Pole: Francesco Bagnaia
- Sprint Winner: Francesco Bagnaia
- Grand Prix Winner: Francesco Bagnaia
Francesco Bagnaia reignited hopes that his issues with the GP25 bike may be over as he dominated the field throughout the weekend, but it was Marc Marquez who made headlines, as a 2nd place finish in the Grand Prix was enough to crown him the 2025 MotoGP World Champion, completing one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all-time. A Grand Prix podium consisting entirely of MotoGP World Champions was completed by an elated Mir in 3rd, giving Honda a wonderful end to their home race. Martin was forced to miss yet another Grand Prix, after a crash during Saturday’s Sprint resulted in a broken collarbone, with further absences later announced as his recovery continued.
Round 18 - Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia
- Circuit Name: Pertamina Mandalika Circuit
- Pole: Marco Bezzecchi
- Sprint Winner: Marco Bezzecchi
- Grand Prix Winner: Fermin Aldeguer
An outstanding performance from Aldeguer saw him take his maiden premier class victory, the first rookie to win in MotoGP since Jorge Martin in 2021, as he finished almost seven seconds ahead of Acosta, with Alex Marquez coming home in 3rd. But prior to the success and celebrations, there was early drama as Marco Bezzecchi collided with newly-crowned World Champion Marc Marquez on Lap 1 of the Grand Prix. Though Bezzecchi was cleared of any serious injuries, Marquez sustained a shoulder injury that was later confirmed as requiring surgery, bringing his season to a premature end as he decided to focus on rehabilitation and recovery, ahead of the 2026 season. It was a negative weekend overall for the Ducati Lenovo Team, with Bagnaia once again experiencing difficulties with the GP25, as he finished the Sprint without scoring points, and crashed out of the Grand Prix.
Round 19 - Liqui Moly Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
- Circuit Name: Phillip Island
- Pole: Fabio Quartararo
- Sprint Winner: Marco Bezzecchi
- Grand Prix Winner: Raul Fernandez
We were treated to another maiden win as Raul Fernandez secured his first MotoGP victory, giving the Trackhouse MotoGP Team their first win since joining the MotoGP grid in 2024. Bezzecchi’s strong form continued, as he managed to secure 3rd after completing a double long lap penalty given to him following the incident with Marc Marquez in Indonesia, and Pertamina Enduro VR46 MotoGP Team’s Di Giannantonio enjoyed a 2nd place finish, his best result of the season. Bagnaia’s GP25 woes continued, as he was riding in 12th before crashing out of the race with four laps remaining, seeing him slip down to 4th in the Championship, behind Bezzecchi.
The beginning of the race weekend also saw the completion of the 2026 MotoGP grid, as LCR Honda announced the signing of Moto2 Championship contender Diogo Moreira on a multi-year deal.
Round 20 - Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia
- Circuit Name: Petronas Sepang International Circuit
- Pole: Francesco Bagnaia
- Sprint Winner: Francesco Bagnaia
- Grand Prix Winner: Alex Marquez
It was a fantastic weekend for Alex Marquez - securing 2nd place in the Championship in Saturday’s Sprint, before then taking his third Grand Prix victory of 2025, ahead of Pedro Acosta in 2nd. Bagnaia was on course for his second podium of the weekend, until he was forced to retire on Lap 18 of the Grand Prix with a punctured rear tyre. Bagnaia’s retirement from the race promoted Joan Mir to 3rd, securing another important podium finish for the Honda HRC Castrol team.
Despite a tyre pressure penalty demoting Aldeguer from a Sprint podium, both sides of the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP garage had reason to celebrate as Aldeguer was officially declared the 2025 MotoGP Rookie of the Year, with 107 points between him and closest rookie Ai Ogura.
Round 21 - Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal
- Circuit Name: Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
- Pole: Marco Bezzecchi
- Sprint Winner: Alex Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi became the sixth different winner in consecutive Grands Prix, as he rode brilliantly, leading all twenty five laps to finish over two seconds ahead of Alex Marquez. The victory marked the first time that Aprilia have won three Grands Prix in a single MotoGP season, a significant milestone from the manufacturer. Acosta picked up another Grand Prix podium, amidst the ever-growing pressure to secure his first MotoGP victory.
The Ducati Lenovo Team saw mixed emotions across the weekend, as Bagnaia crashed out of 4th position during Lap 11 of the Grand Prix - his fourth Grand Prix DNF in a row, whilst Double World Superbike Championship runner up, and newly announced Ducati MotoGP test rider, Nicolo Bulega scored a point on his MotoGP Grand Prix debut, filling in for the injured Marc Marquez.
Round 22 - Motul Grand Prix of the Valencian Community
- Circuit Name: Circuit Ricardo Tormo
- Pole: Marco Bezzecchi
- Sprint Winner: Alex Marquez
- Grand Prix Winner: Marco Bezzecchi
An emotional return to Valencia saw Marco Bezzecchi secure Aprilia’s first back-to-back wins in MotoGP, as he became the first Aprilia rider to win three Grands Prix in the same season. Raul Fernandez’s fantastic 2nd place finish made Valencia Aprilia’s first 1-2 since the 2023 Catalan Grand Prix, with Di Giannantonio joining the Aprilia riders on the podium with a strong end to his season, after securing 3rd place in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. A 7th place finish for Marini saw Honda gather enough points to move from Concessions Rank D to C, an important step for the manufacturer. Bagnaia’s difficult season ended with him finishing 5th in the World Championship, following a fifth consecutive Grand Prix DNF after an incident with Johann Zarco.
Attention now turns to the 2026 MotoGP season, with a day of testing already completed in Valencia, as teams began preparing for the last season of MotoGP’s current regulations.
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