It solely took Marc Marquez two rounds in MotoGP 2025 to make historical past as a manufacturing facility Ducati rider.
For the primary time ever, a rider for the model has opened up a marketing campaign with back-to-back grand prix victories. His Argentina Grand Prix success additionally tied him third all-time with Angel Nieto on the winners’ record.
The Argentina weekend went to sort, with Marquez claiming pole and profitable each the dash and the grand prix. However similar to in Thailand, he didn’t run away on Sunday. What was completely different in regards to the Argentina race was the truth that he didn’t willingly drop behind his brother Alex Marquez.
On lap 4, having gotten the holeshot from pole, Marc Marquez made a mistake and allowed the Gresini Ducati ridden by his youthful brother to maneuver into the lead.
Getting again forward didn’t show straightforward, both. In actual fact, Marc Marquez had a large second going by means of Flip 11 over a bump that nearly threw him from his manufacturing facility Ducati on lap 15 of 25. His first try at retaking the lead additionally didn’t pan out, as he ran vast into Flip 5 on lap 18.
On lap 21, the championship chief eased previous previous to the braking zone and scarpered away to the chequered flag by 1.3s. Alex Marquez needed to accept second once more, however household celebrations afterwards recommended he wasn’t too bitter about this.
Alex Marquez’s tempo is spectacular, however Marc Marquez has one thing further
All weekend at Termas de Rio Hondo Marc Marquez had been backing his youthful brother to be a serious risk within the grand prix. It’s a circuit that has been sort to Alex prior to now, as he took his first MotoGP pole in Argentina in 2023 and went on to attain his first podium as a Ducati rider in that grand prix.
The Gresini rider was additionally seemingly capable of optimise his GP24 to the structure higher than his elder brother, who discovered himself at a drawback in his normally strongest space.
“He [Alex] arrange the bike perhaps extra for the nook velocity and flowing extra, and I arrange the bike extra for the laborious brake factors, which is my robust level,” Marc Marquez defined.
“I had a bit extra on the laborious brake factors, however after I was behind him I wasn’t capable of brake like I needed.
“However he was flowing rather a lot and truthfully talking each lap I used to be fascinated about Flip 6, as a result of it was a left nook and I mentioned ‘it’s not potential that he’s sooner than me there’. However he was.
“And I attempted completely different strains and other ways to open the gasoline and other ways to place the physique. However each lap he was sooner there. In some corners he was sooner, however Flip 6 was the one I used to be fascinated about all of the race find out how to enhance.”
A specialist on anti-clockwise circuits, the very fact Marc Marquez couldn’t use that towards his brother eliminated an overtaking alternative from him on the run by means of Flip 6 into Flip 7. It additionally nearly definitely led to the manufacturing facility Ducati rider’s huge Flip 15 second.
Over the course of the race, the common tempo distinction between the 2 was minuscule. Alex Marquez was solely 0.005s slower than Marc Marquez, and was truly marginally sooner from laps 4 to twenty when he led his manufacturing facility Ducati rival. Impressively, each set their quickest laps on the nineteenth of 25 excursions, with Marc Marquez barely faster right here with a 1m38.243s versus a 1m38.313s.
Marc Marquez famous after the race that he briefed his brother on what his technique can be for the race, with Alex following it to the letter even when he was main.
| Alex Marquez leads – Laps 4-20 | ||
| Laps | MM93 | AM73 |
| 4 | 39.07 | 38.75 |
| 5 | 38.759 | 38.507 |
| 6 | 38.732 | 38.843 |
| 7 | 38.773 | 38.751 |
| 8 | 38.742 | 38.823 |
| 9 | 38.805 | 38.81 |
| 10 | 38.453 | 38.364 |
| 11 | 38.473 | 38.533 |
| 12 | 38.513 | 38.389 |
| 13 | 38.777 | 38.869 |
| 14 | 38.671 | 38.75 |
| 15 | 38.706 | 38.503 |
| 16 | 38.658 | 38.862 |
| 17 | 38.942 | 38.993 |
| 18 | 39.021 | 38.812 |
| 19 | 38.243 | 38.313 |
| 20 | 38.419 | 38.615 |
| Avergae | 1m38.692s | 1m38.676s |
| Tempo distinction | 0.016s | |
Marc Marquez as soon as once more acknowledged confidently that Alex Marquez will win races in 2025. And definitely, his alternatives will come if he continues to experience like he did in Argentina. However these closing 5 laps did reveal an uncomfortable reality about Marc Marquez.
As was the case in Thailand after he’d spent the mandatory period of time behind his brother boosting his entrance tyre strain, as soon as within the lead Marc Marquez bolted. When he hit the entrance once more in Argentina on lap 21, he did the identical, his tempo distinction placing in comparison with Alex Marquez’s on this part.
| Marc Marquez leads – Lap 21-25 | ||
| Laps | MM93 | AM73 |
| 21 | 38.375 | 38.983 |
| 22 | 38.47 | 38.899 |
| 23 | 38.594 | 38.88 |
| 24 | 38.905 | 39.305 |
| 25 | 39.871 | 39.644 |
| Common | 1m38.843s | 1m39.142s |
| Tempo distinction | 0.299s | |
Alex Marquez mentioned that when his brother began to push more durable, the Gresini rider was “almost crashing all of the corners”. For him, it’s clear “he’s capable of be extra on the restrict within the final a part of the race”, and the 0.299s tempo distinction common within the closing 5 laps backs this up.
Getting in entrance of Marc Marquez and disrupting his rhythm is trying like the one method to beat him proper now, however his kind in direction of the tip of races makes this job more durable. It’s additionally value noting that the manufacturing facility Ducati rider hasn’t crashed as soon as this season but, suggesting he’s but to really discover the bounds of a motorbike that already appears completely suited to him.
MotoGP title battle strains redrawn
Alex Marquez, Marc Marquez
Whereas Buriram and Termas de Rio Hondo have sometimes been good tracks for Alex Marquez, his consistency has been spectacular. Simply 16 factors behind Marc Marquez proper now, the Gresini rider is being touted by his brother because the “most important opponent” for the title proper now.
That could be a kick within the shins for Pecco Bagnaia, whom Marc Marquez mentioned all winter can be the rider to beat in 2025 and the reference inside Ducati. However as soon as once more, Bagnaia turned as much as a race in 2025 unable to combat his team-mate.
On the rostrum within the dash, he was rapidly forged adrift of the lead two as he was in Thailand. And on Sunday, he completed a grand prix off the rostrum for the primary time since final 12 months’s Americas GP in fourth. Closing down a soft-shod Franco Morbidelli within the latter phases, Bagnaia might do nothing to overtake the VR46 Ducati rider.
Now 31 factors down within the standings, Bagnaia and Ducati appear at a little bit of a loss as to the place to go from right here. Bagnaia merely acknowledged on Sunday that he doesn’t have his ordinary feeling on the Ducati, like he had final 12 months when he gained 11 grands prix. But when that is the extent whereas he’s not on kind, it’s a serious concern for his title hopes.
Bagnaia felt he his tempo wasn’t far off that of Marc and Alex Marquez’s. However the actuality is, his tempo was adequate for fourth solely. Within the dash he was 0.269s per lap slower than Marc Marquez, whereas within the grand prix he had solely narrowed this to 0.210s. That was round 0.050s slower than Morbidelli, who battled fading comfortable rubber late on, and about the identical faster than the sister VR46 Ducati of Fabio Di Giannantonio.
The web end result was a dropping margin of 5.536s.
| 2025 Argentina GP high six tempo | ||||||
| Laps | MM93 | AM73 | FM21 | FB63 | FD49 | JZ5 |
| 2 | 38.885 | 38.989 | 39.152 | 39.359 | 39.668 | 39.296 |
| 3 | 38.865 | 38.72 | 38.764 | 38.782 | 39.044 | 39.1 |
| 4 | 39.07 | 38.75 | 38.66 | 39.428 | 39.015 | 39.135 |
| 5 | 38.759 | 38.507 | 38.864 | 38.905 | 39.168 | 38.926 |
| 6 | 38.732 | 38.843 | 38.674 | 38.925 | 39.229 | 38.991 |
| 7 | 38.773 | 38.751 | 38.746 | 38.828 | 38.854 | 38.944 |
| 8 | 38.742 | 38.823 | 38.679 | 38.857 | 38.913 | 38.75 |
| 9 | 38.805 | 38.81 | 38.706 | 38.798 | 39.286 | 38.7 |
| 10 | 38.453 | 38.364 | 38.631 | 38.787 | 39.28 | 38.878 |
| 11 | 38.473 | 38.533 | 38.69 | 38.735 | 39.097 | 38.725 |
| 12 | 38.513 | 38.389 | 38.97 | 38.846 | 39 | 38.868 |
| 13 | 38.777 | 38.869 | 38.736 | 38.865 | 38.939 | 38.946 |
| 14 | 38.671 | 38.75 | 38.752 | 39.009 | 39.513 | 38.948 |
| 15 | 38.706 | 38.503 | 39.09 | 38.86 | 38.805 | 39.043 |
| 16 | 38.658 | 38.862 | 39.173 | 38.885 | 39.144 | 38.933 |
| 17 | 38.942 | 38.993 | 39.068 | 38.998 | 38.705 | 39.117 |
| 18 | 39.021 | 38.812 | 38.833 | 38.856 | 38.456 | 38.904 |
| 19 | 38.243 | 38.313 | 38.836 | 39.043 | 38.531 | 39.13 |
| 20 | 38.419 | 38.615 | 38.818 | 38.653 | 38.337 | 39.017 |
| 21 | 38.375 | 38.983 | 38.917 | 38.839 | 38.885 | 38.859 |
| 22 | 38.47 | 38.899 | 39.257 | 38.882 | 39.247 | 38.855 |
| 23 | 38.594 | 38.88 | 39.081 | 39.035 | 38.884 | 39.125 |
| 24 | 38.905 | 39.305 | 39.127 | 39.092 | 38.796 | 39.479 |
| 25 | 39.871 | 39.644 | 39.183 | 39.487 | 39.284 | 39.873 |
| Common | 1m38.738s | 1m38.788s | 1m38.892s | 1m38.948s | 1m39.003s | 1m39.023s |
| Tempo distinction | 0.005s | 0.154s | 0.210s | 0.265s | 0.285s | |
Possibly Bagnaia begins to come back on kind when MotoGP will get to Qatar, a circuit he has been robust at lately, and onwards into extra acquainted territory in Europe. However the work to do to get there may be huge, all of the whereas each Marquez brothers run away on the entrance…
