The #73 outruns brother Marc as Di Giannantonio wins wild scrap for thirdSaturday, 24 May 2025
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) delivered a flawless ride to win the Tissot Sprint at Silverstone, beating Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) by over three seconds. Behind them, a fierce and chaotic scrap for the final podium place ended with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Team) taking the honours in a stunning five-rider fight.
Early Action: A Marquez Duel at the Front
From the off, Fabio Quartararo grabbed the holeshot from pole, with Ducati teammates jostling for position just behind. Alex Marquez muscled into second despite Marc Marquez diving aggressively around the outside from fourth. The early order saw Quartararo leading, with the Marquez brothers and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) right behind.
Marc wasted no time. By the end of the Wellington Straight, he was up to second, and just moments later on the Hangar Straight, he swept into the lead. With six straight Sprint wins under his belt, it looked like business as usual for the #93.
But Alex wasn’t having it. After getting past Quartararo, he chased down his brother and capitalized on a wide moment from Marc at Turn 3 to retake the lead. From there, the pair began to break away, setting up a private duel while Quartararo, Bagnaia, and Di Giannantonio locked horns for third.
No Holds Barred: Brutal Battle for Third
Bagnaia found a way past Quartararo, and soon Di Giannantonio followed suit. But as the VR46 rider tried to shake the pack, Quartararo began clawing back time – just as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) entered the fray, with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) charging up from deep in the field to join the battle.
Out front, the Marquez brothers remained locked in their own rhythm, but chaos unfolded behind them. Bezzecchi struck first against Zarco, then blasted past Quartararo. He was now on the hunt for Bagnaia, who was beginning to lose ground to Di Giannantonio. Diggia used the opportunity to pull clear, securing some breathing room in third.
Bezzecchi then elbowed his way past Bagnaia, and Zarco pounced soon after, overtaking the reigning Champion through Maggots and Becketts. Quartararo was left fighting to regain ground, but the laps ran out before he could launch a meaningful counterattack.
Alex Breaks the Streak
At the front, Alex Marquez was inch-perfect. Lap after lap, he built his lead, ultimately breaking Marc’s Sprint win streak with authority. It was Alex’s first Sprint victory since 2023 and a masterclass in control under pressure.
Marc had to settle for second, while Di Giannantonio returned to the podium for the first time since his Grand Prix rostrum in Austin.
Bezzecchi’s storming comeback earned him fourth – a warning shot for Sunday if he gets away cleanly. Zarco finished fifth, and Bagnaia narrowly held off Quartararo for sixth.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made a late surge to claim eighth, demoting Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) out of the points. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team) rounded out the top nine after showing solid early pace.
That wraps up a fiery Saturday at Silverstone. With Bezzecchi’s speed, Di Giannantonio back in top form, and Marc Marquez eager to respond, Sunday’s showdown is one you won’t want to miss. The main race starts at 13:00.
Moto2: Canet Powers to Pole After Q1 Gamble
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) fought through Q1 to snatch pole position for the British Grand Prix, edging out Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) by 0.148s. Canet’s 2:02.482 was nearly four tenths faster than third-place Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), who also secured a front row start.
The drama began in Q1, where Canet faced stiff competition from Moto3 Champion David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), plus the SpeedRS duo Celestino Vietti and Alonso Lopez. Sergio Garcia’s late crash at Luffield triggered yellow flags, freezing final laps and costing some riders dearly.
Canet, Alonso, and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) advanced – but a late lap from Lopez knocked out Vietti, meaning only one of the Boscoscuro bikes made it through.
In Q2, Canet quickly rose to the top, with Gonzalez matching his pace. The pair – currently 1-2 in the standings – swapped fastest laps throughout the session. Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) briefly featured on the second row but couldn’t improve late on.
Canet held on for pole, with Moreira’s final lap securing third. Alonso grabbed P4 with a last-gasp push, followed by Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Ramirez. Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing) leads Row 3 in seventh, ahead of Izan Guevara and Daniel Holgado. Dixon slipped to 13th by session’s end.
Moto3: Carpe Inherits Pole as Rueda Penalized
Q1 in Moto3 offered no shortage of drama as riders battled for four precious spots in Q2. Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) topped the session with a strong late lap, followed by Vicente Perez (LEVELUP-MTA), Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse), and Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team).
Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE) looked set to advance after setting the fastest first sector, but a crash at Turn 3 ended his hopes. Though unhurt, he was shuffled out and will start 19th.
In Q2, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) initially grabbed pole, running in tandem with teammate Alvaro Carpe on the final lap. The pair worked together, with Carpe getting the slipstream while Almansa surged into the top five. Rueda’s pole lap held up – until post-session penalties changed the landscape.
Rueda was penalized for riding slowly on the racing line, handing pole to Carpe – the rookie’s first. Piqueras joins them on the front row after a dramatic exchange with Rueda in the final sector. Almansa starts fourth, followed by Joel Kelso and Maximo Quiles.
The third row features Luca Lunetta, David Muñoz, and Q1 graduate Perrone. Dennis Foggia rounds out the top ten and remains the only rider on the Moto3 grid with a previous Silverstone win.
With Rueda demoted to the back of the grid, every rider moves up one position. Can the Championship leader carve his way back to the front? Find out Sunday at 14:30.
Podium and front row images MotoGP
Images @bombercountymedia
