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Early Crash for French Star Opens Door for #93 to Secure Fifth Consecutive Tissot Sprint Victory

Marquez Seizes Sprint Glory After Quartararo’s Heartbreak in Jerez

History Made at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain

Until now, only reigning World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) had managed five straight Tissot Sprint victories. That exclusive club just welcomed a new member: Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). In front of a packed house at Jerez, Marquez capitalized on early drama to thrill the Spanish crowd, clinching gold ahead of his brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) by just over a second. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the podium, crossing the line more than three seconds back but collecting valuable Sprint points.

A Dramatic Start: Sprint-Defining Moments in the Opening Laps

Kicking off from a historic pole position, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) initially lost out to Marc Marquez off the line. But into Turn 1, Quartararo made a stunning move on the brakes to reclaim P1 and led the field through the opening lap. Alex Marquez had muscled his way into third from fourth on the grid, while Bagnaia fended off Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) for fourth.

Then, the first twist of the afternoon came on Lap 2. Marc Marquez tucked in behind Quartararo, pulling alongside into the Dani Pedrosa corner at Turn 6. Quartararo, desperate to hang on around the outside on the dusty part of the track, pushed just a bit too hard. The front end of his Yamaha folded under him, and his dream Saturday at Jerez ended in the gravel. A crushing blow for Quartararo after such an electric qualifying session.

Controlling the Chaos: Marquez Brothers Take Command

Following Quartararo’s exit, Marc Marquez found himself leading Alex Marquez by half a second, with Bagnaia holding station another 0.8s further back. Morbidelli was clinging onto fourth, while rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) ran an impressive fifth after an early scare on the opening lap. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was hot on Aldeguer’s heels in sixth.

As the race settled into a rhythm, Marc Marquez began to stretch his advantage. With eight laps to go, the gap grew to a full second. Although Alex Marquez briefly clawed it back to 0.9s, the #93 quickly reasserted control, edging the lead out to 1.4s with five laps left.

Bagnaia seemed content to ride safely in third rather than force the issue with Alex, while Morbidelli had dropped a second back in fourth, eliminating any immediate threat to the podium battle.

Victory for the Crowd Favorite

As the final laps clicked down, there were no mistakes from the leaders. With 100,000 fans packing the hillsides and grandstands, Marc Marquez powered across the finish line to claim a famous fifth consecutive Sprint win. Alex Marquez followed him home for a well-earned silver medal, and Bagnaia rounded out the top three—securing vital points but surely hungry for more on Sunday.

The Full Sprint Points Breakdown

Franco Morbidelli took fourth, capping another strong outing for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. Fermin Aldeguer delivered again on home soil, securing an outstanding fifth place. Fabio Di Giannantonio clung onto sixth despite pressure from Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who crossed the line in seventh.

Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) finished eighth, well ahead of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), who grabbed the final Sprint point in ninth. Rounding out the top ten was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pedro Acosta, who will be looking to bounce back in Sunday’s main event.

All Eyes on Grand Prix Sunday

With Saturday’s Sprint fireworks in the rear-view mirror, all focus now shifts to Sunday’s Grand Prix. Will Marc Marquez go back-to-back at Jerez and finally exorcise the painful memories of 2020? Or will Quartararo, Alex Marquez, or Bagnaia mount a comeback?

The race gets underway at 2:00 PM local time (UTC+2) — and it’s set to be another unforgettable chapter in an already epic weekend.

Turn 7 at Jerez Officially Renamed to Honour Carmelo Ezpeleta

A significant moment in MotoGP history unfolded ahead of the Sprint race at the Circuito de Jerez–Ángel Nieto, as a special ceremony was held to pay tribute to one of the sport’s most influential figures, Carmelo Ezpeleta. The CEO of Dorna Sports—the company that owns the commercial rights to MotoGP—was honoured as Turn 7 at the legendary circuit was officially renamed “Carmelo Ezpeleta Corner.”

In a heartfelt gathering that took place right at the newly christened turn, the event was attended by dignitaries from both the Circuito de Jerez and the city of Jerez. Together, they celebrated Ezpeleta’s monumental contributions to the sport over the decades.

As part of the ceremony, a statue commemorating Ezpeleta was unveiled on the outside of Turn 7. The statue now stands proudly overlooking the corner, serving as a permanent reminder of the legacy and vision that have helped shape MotoGP into the global phenomenon it is today.

Gonzalez Leads Arenas for a Spanish 1-2 Finish at Jerez

Spanish Stars Shine at Jerez: Gonzalez and Arenas Lock Out Front Row

There’s no place like home—and for some, that pressure can be overwhelming. But for Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Team) and Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), the atmosphere at Jerez served as pure fuel. The Spanish duo delivered when it mattered most, securing a home-soil 1-2 in Moto2™ qualifying at the Circuito de Jerez–Ángel Nieto.

Both riders unleashed superb late-session flyers to grab the top two grid spots, separated by a mere 0.032 seconds. With such a razor-thin margin between them, Sunday’s Grand Prix promises to be a thriller. Joining them on the front row is Australian sensation Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), who kept the pressure on and remains very much in contention after an impressive qualifying performance.

Q1 Drama: High Stakes, Hard Falls

From the outset, Q1 was bound to be a brutal battle for those final transfer spots. In the end, Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), Zonta Van Den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP), Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), and Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR-FRINSA-MSI) emerged from the scrap—though not without a few heart-stopping moments.

Darryn Binder (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) looked on course to grab a transfer spot late in the session, only for disaster to strike at the final corner. A crash ended his hopes just when it seemed he might vault into the top four, underscoring the cruel margins of Moto2 qualifying.

Late Flyers Shake Up Q2

When Q2 got underway, the surprises didn’t stop. For much of the session, it was Senna Agius leading the way ahead of Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego). However, the final minutes turned the order on its head as Gonzalez and Arenas lit up the timing screens with blistering laps.

Gonzalez secured pole, while Arenas locked in second—setting the stage for a mouthwatering Spanish showdown. Agius, meanwhile, maintained third, making it a double front-row celebration for the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt squad.

Baltus heads up the second row, starting fourth, just ahead of Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) in fifth and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in sixth. While Spain dominates the front, there’s a truly international mix snapping at their heels.

Misfortune for Big Names

Not everyone escaped the session unscathed. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) suffered a heartbreaking crash at Turn 6 during his final flying lap, losing any chance to improve. He’ll start seventh. Meanwhile, reigning Moto3™ World Champion David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) also hit trouble, crashing at the final corner mid-session. Despite the fall, Alonso salvaged an eighth-place start after improving earlier.

The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team duo—Jake Dixon and Filip Salac—wrapped up the top ten, both hoping for stronger race pace come Sunday.

Further down the order, two notable surprises came from the Beta Tools SpeedRS Team: Celestino Vietti and Alonso Lopez could only manage 13th and 14th, respectively. Both riders have serious ground to make up and will face a busy Sunday afternoon trying to fight their way forward.

Rueda Strikes Back to Secure Home Pole at Jerez

Rueda Delivers Home Pole in Jerez Thriller

There’s nothing quite like racing in front of a home crowd, and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) certainly lived up to the moment at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain. After dominating the weekend so far, the Spanish star clinched his first pole position of the 2025 season, setting himself up perfectly as he hunts to reclaim the Championship lead — a lead he lost in Qatar through no fault of his own after a heartbreaking late technical issue.

Joining Rueda on the front row is Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA), who secured his third front-row start of the season with a strong performance, while David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) had to settle for third after an intense session. Championship leader Ángel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) was agonizingly close to the top three, missing out by just a whisker and lining up fourth for his home Grand Prix.

Q1 Drama: Late Twists and Big Names Miss Out

Qualifying 1 was always going to be packed with drama, and it didn’t disappoint. Big names like David Almansa (Leopard Racing), Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team), and Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) were battling hard to secure a spot in Q2. Initially looking safe inside the crucial top four, Almansa, Ogden, and Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Team Asia) were hit by late lap time cancellations that saw them tumble down the order. Instead, it was Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), and Vicente Perez (LEVELUP-MTA) who snatched their place in the pole shootout.

Pole Battle: Rueda Stamps His Authority

The second part of qualifying saw the fight for pole position heat up quickly. Midway through Q2, there was barely anything between the top contenders, with just 0.047 seconds separating Rueda and Muñoz. As the session entered its critical phase, Rueda pulled out another gear. The local hero continued his impressive form and eventually sealed pole position by almost three tenths of a second.

Kelso’s late push rewarded him with P2, bumping Muñoz down to third. Meanwhile, Piqueras will start from P4, perfectly placed to defend his Championship lead on home soil. Behind them, top rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) showed he could be a serious threat on Sunday, while Lusail pole-sitter Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) rounded out a strong second row.

Late Drama: Fernandez Incident Shakes Things Up

In the final moments of the session, there was a dramatic twist for Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing). While on a flying lap, Fernandez was badly impeded by a slow-moving Buchanan. The interruption seemed to rattle Fernandez, who then crashed while pushing hard on his final attempt. Despite the incident, he still managed to cling onto seventh place on the grid.

Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), and Argentina’s rising talent Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) complete the top ten starters for Sunday.

Elsewhere, there were standout performances from Vicente Perez, who, as a late replacement rider, secured an impressive P11, and South African rookie Ruche Moodley (DENSSI Racing – BOE), who achieved a personal best qualifying result in 15th.