Marquez and Viñales Duel in Doha Before Penalty Drama, Bagnaia and Morbidelli Snag Podium Spots

Marquez Triumphs in Doha Showdown as Viñales Penalized Post-Race, Morbidelli Inherits Podium Spot

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Marc Marquez pulled off a stunning double victory in Qatar, conquering the Lusail circuit for the second time in as many weekends. But the biggest twist came after the flag. What looked like a brilliant first podium in Red Bull KTM Tech3 colors for Maverick Viñales turned into heartbreak after a post-race tyre pressure penalty demoted him to P14—promoting Franco Morbidelli to third and Francesco Bagnaia to second.

It’s safe to say no one could have predicted how this Grand Prix would unfold.

A Lightning Start—and Early Contact

As the lights went out, it was Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) who grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1. But almost instantly, the drama kicked off. Marquez and his brother Alex (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) made contact on the exit, with debris flying from the tail of Marc’s Ducati. That moment opened the door for Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) to sneak into the lead through Turn 2, while Viñales and Alex Marquez diced behind.

Morbidelli quickly tried to pull clear, stretching his advantage to 0.8s at the start of Lap 3, while Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), coming off a rough Saturday, was already charging up to sixth. But more chaos unfolded.

Attempting a bold move at Turn 12, Alex Marquez collided with Fabio Di Giannantonio (also Pertamina Enduro VR46), sending both riders wide. Alex dropped to seventh, and Diggia plummeted down to 21st. The stewards responded swiftly—Alex Marquez was handed a Long Lap Penalty.

Bagnaia Charges, Viñales Joins the Fight

As the field reshuffled, Bagnaia continued to climb. He made a clean move on Marc Marquez into Turn 1 on Lap 5 to take second. That left Marquez in third, Viñales behind in fourth, and Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol) rounding out the top five, with Fermin Aldeguer and Alex Marquez in pursuit.

Alex served his penalty on Lap 6, rejoining in 12th, now 4.9 seconds off the lead. Up front, Marquez wasted no time reclaiming second from Bagnaia just a lap later, while Viñales, now on a charge, set the fastest lap and slipped past Bagnaia for third. The top three were locked in—and the pressure was building.

Viñales Hits the Front

With 13 laps to go, Viñales stunned both factory Ducatis. First, he got past Marc Marquez. Then, on the following lap, he took the lead from Morbidelli using the same move. Marquez followed through shortly after, relegating Morbidelli to third.

Bagnaia and Morbidelli began an intense scrap of their own, swapping positions five times on Lap 11, but the battle cost them crucial time. When the dust settled, Bagnaia had fallen nearly a second behind Marquez.

Zarco also managed to overtake Morbidelli, as the Italian began to fade—perhaps struggling with rear grip or simply the brutal pace at the front.

Marquez Makes His Move

With eight laps remaining, Viñales still led, but only just. Then came a small mistake at Turn 6. It was all the invitation Marc Marquez needed. The #93 took the lead with seven laps to go—and that was the moment he pulled the pin.

Marquez began to stretch the gap with each passing lap. His pace was relentless. On Lap 17, he was two-tenths faster than Viñales, and nearly seven-tenths quicker than Bagnaia. By Lap 20, the lead had grown to over a second.

Viñales now had his hands full trying to hold off Bagnaia, while Marquez had vanished up the road.

The Checkered Flag—and Then the Twist

Marc Marquez took the victory with authority, crossing the line 1.5 seconds ahead of Viñales, with Bagnaia a solid third. It was Marquez’s seventh win in eight races—a staggering run that now carries him to Jerez with massive momentum and the World Championship lead.

But as celebrations began, news broke of a post-race penalty for Viñales. His tyre pressures were found to be below the required minimum. The punishment? A +16-second penalty, dropping him from P2 to P14.

The shuffle meant Bagnaia was promoted to second and Morbidelli—to his own surprise—landed a podium finish in third.

Qatar’s Final Points Scorers

Behind the revised podium trio, Zarco held onto a strong P4—his best result yet on the Honda—and Aldeguer claimed a personal best MotoGP finish in fifth. Alex Marquez recovered to sixth, bringing an end to his streak of back-to-back podiums.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), starting from the front row for the first time since 2023, brought home a respectable seventh. He was followed by rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), who completed the top ten.

Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) finished P11, ahead of Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in P12. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the penalized Viñales, and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) rounded out the points.

One notable absentee from the finish? Defending World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing). His Sunday comeback ended in disaster after a heavy crash. He was initially taken to the medical center, then transferred to a local hospital. Aprilia later confirmed Martin suffered rib contusions and fractures, and he will remain under observation.

Looking Ahead: Marquez Returns Home as the Man to Beat

Marc Marquez’s masterclass in Qatar sends a clear message: the #93 is back at his very best. With seven wins in eight and the Championship lead firmly in hand, he now heads to his home Grand Prix in Jerez with the Spanish crowd ready to explode in celebration.

The big question: who can stop him?

Stay tuned—because the next chapter of the 2025 MotoGP season is about to unfold at full throttle.

Official MotoGP Press Release