The Marquez showdown heats up in Argentina as Morbidelli triumphantly returns to the podium.

A Thrilling Family Showdown at Termas

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) lit up Termas de Río Hondo once again, proving why he’s one of the all-time greats. In a dramatic, closely-fought battle, the legendary #93 outpaced his younger brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in the closing stages of the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina, keeping his unbeaten record intact. Adding to the excitement, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) seized a hard-fought podium by holding off a late challenge from Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who was forced to settle for fourth.

Early Drama: The Marquez Brothers and a Crash to Remember

The race kicked off with Marc Marquez taking a flawless launch from pole, grabbing the holeshot at Turn 1 as the Marquez brothers immediately engaged in a head-to-head battle. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) ran into trouble early on, colliding with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and crashing out, much to the relief of his fellow riders.

Johann Zarco (LCR Honda CASTROL) was hot on the heels of Bagnaia, with the two battling for position, while the two Marquez brothers carved out an early 0.7-second gap in favor of Marc. On Lap 4, Alex capitalized on a minor mistake by his brother at Turn 1, briefly taking the lead as blue flashed ahead of red for the first time in Argentina. At the same moment, Morbidelli surged past Zarco and Bagnaia to claim third.

Settling Into the Race

After an action-packed start, the riders began to settle into their rhythm. The gap between the brothers narrowed slightly, with Marc still leading by around 0.3 seconds. However, as the race progressed, the tension built. By Lap 8, Dixon—oops, I mean the lead—was over a second clear, and by Lap 12, Marc’s advantage had grown to more than 1.5 seconds.

The Climactic Final Laps

As the race entered its final stages, the battle intensified. On Lap 18, Marc made a bold move at Turn 5 but couldn’t quite complete the pass, leaving Alex in the lead with seven laps remaining. The margin between them widened to 0.4 seconds after Alex ran wide. Then, on Lap 19, the brothers traded fastest laps, with Marc gradually edging ahead. Finally, at Turn 5 again on the next lap, Marc’s pass finally stuck, and despite Alex’s best efforts, Marc extended his gap. By the last lap, Marc was a comfortable 1.5 seconds ahead, while Bagnaia trailed Morbidelli by just 0.5 seconds.

In the end, Marc Marquez clinched his fourth win of the season—two Sprint wins and two Grand Prix victories in a row—as his factory Ducati career gets off to a perfect start in 2025. Alex Marquez secured another podium with a second-place finish, and Morbidelli, achieving his first MotoGP podium since the 2021 Spanish GP, rounded out the top three. Bagnaia, despite battling hard, had to settle for fourth.

The Points Battle and What’s Next

Elsewhere, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) snatched P5, while Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished P7 after yesterday’s early incident. Reigning Moto2 World Champion Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) put in a brilliant performance to cross the line in P8 from 15th on the grid, though he was later disqualified for a software issue, promoting Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to P8. This shuffle meant three Hondas ended up in the top 10, with Joan Mir and Luca Marini rounding out the points.

It’s been a magical start for the six-time MotoGP King, with two Sprints and two Grands Prix already under his belt. Up next is a trip to the Circuit of The Americas—one of Marc’s favorite tracks. The big question now is: Can anyone slow down Marc Marquez’s incredible momentum in Austin? Alex Marquez and Bagnaia will certainly be eager to try.

Stay tuned as the season continues to heat up!

Race Results Updated: Ai Ogura, who finished eighth, disqualified for a technical infringement on his Trackhouse Aprilia.

Official MotoGP Press Release