Grand Prix America Sprint LIVE - Marc Marquez continues dominant form and claims another win COTA ahead of brother Alex

MotoGP | Grand Prix United States

Circuit of the Americas | 29.03.2025

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20:55

SMILES AND GLORY FOR MARQUEZ AS HE EXTENDS UNBEATEN STREAK

Marc Marquez is enjoying an extremely successful 2025 campaign, extending his unbeaten streak by adding a third consecutive sprint pole and win at the Grand Prix America.

Marquez got off to a fantastic start, defending hard from the advances of his teammate and brother, and recovered smoothly from a wobble on track.

His brother, Alex Marquez, has just claimed his fifth second-place finish in a row with a clean drive around the tricky Circuit of the Americas.

The Gresini rider finished ahead of Francesco Bagnaia, who settled for another third-place finish after failing to catch the Marquez brothers.

If Marquez can continue his 100% winning streak to the Grand Prix tomorrow, he can smash his own record for most wins at COTA by securing an eighth.

20:50

MARC MARQUEZ: OPENING LAP BATTLE WAS "TOO CLOSE"

It was another victory for Marc Marquez who extended his unbeaten streak in America.

The seven-time COTA winner was challenged off the line but defended and recovered well after a mid-race slip-up to prove victorious once again.

Marquez said, "[The opening lap was] too close. Too close.

"I mean, the track condition changed a lot with that warmth on the first lap.

"I was pushing in a normal way like this morning, but suddenly I realised that the grip of the track was worse.

"It was super close, but okay, it was some nice fight there against Pecco and Alex.

"But in the end, when I got my rhythm, I tried to control the gap.

"I made another mistake, but then I pushed again.

"So yeah, for tomorrow, we need to work a bit on that rear contact, but that part of the bike is working super good."

20:45

ALEX MARQUEZ: BEING SECOND HERE FEELS LIKE A WIN

Alex Marquez has earned his fifth second-place finish so far this season with a perfect drive around the Circuit of the Americas.
He managed to stick close to his brother Marc Marquez, who won the sprint, and put in a flawless ride to add more points to his championship.

Marquez said: "I'm very happy to be second here, it feels like a win.

"I mean, just being second after Marc feels like a win because he's on another level.

"But anyway, I think we did really good to start with again - the beginning.

"The gap was four [0.4s], we thought this will be about like 0.7 seconds, so we're pushing ahead.

"The track conditions were really different compared to this morning, but we managed quite well.

"I'm very happy for that great ride."

20:40

BAGNAIA: WILL PUSH HARDER TOMORROW

Ducati Lenovo rider Francesco Bagnaia claimed a third-place finish in the Grand Prix Americas Sprint race after jumping two positions on the opening lap.

Pecco put up a fierce fight on the opening lap to take the battle directly to the Marquez brothers, but his pace fell off of the duo.

Bagnaia said: "I'm happy for the result because I was improving lap by lap.

"I needed just needed too many laps to be ready and competitive, but the first laps were nice.

"I enjoyed the battle a lot, and tomorrow we will try to do the same start.

"But maybe the first laps will be more competitive."

20:35

WHICH MOTOGP RACES ARE ON TNT SPORTS?

TNT Sports and discovery+ will show every practice session, every qualifying session and every Sprint Race and main Race of the MotoGP season.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

As part of TNT Sports’ comprehensive coverage of MotoGP, it will continue to offer best-in-class analysis and reporting via its digital platform TNTSports.co.uk and content via its social platforms right throughout the season.

Starting from the 2025 season, there will be a new show on Friday evenings called The Inside Line which will be a half-hour round-up of all the news, action and analysis from the first day of the MotoGP weekend.

20:30

ANOTHER MARQUEZ COTA WIN FOR THE BOOKS

The six-time world champion Marc Marquez has added another COTA win to his record books, extending his 100% winning streak so far this season.

Marquez has claimed every single victory so far in 2025 with his new team Ducati Lenovo, picking up three sprint wins and two Grand Prix victories.

If Marquez can continue this dominant form on Sunday, he will break his own record for most wins around the Circuit of Americas, claiming an eighth victory.

Only his brother Alex Marquez truly put up a challenge to the fearsome Marc, who is on perhaps the best run of his career.

His Ducati Lenovo teammate Francesco Bagnaia came off the line strong but his pace fell off in just a few laps as Marquez cruised to victory.

10/10

MARC MARQUEZ CLAIMS COTA VICTORY ONCE MORE

Marc Marquez has claimed yet another win here at the Circuit of the Americas in a perfect recovery drive from the opening lap chaos.

The Ducati Lenovo rider finished ahead of his brother Alex Marquez, who jumped Fabio Di Giannantonio for second place early in the race.

They both finished in front of Francesco Bagnaia, who claimed the final points-scoring position after climbing from fifth place.

‘This wasn’t in the script!’ – Bagnaia and Marquez joust for lead in astonishing opening lap

Video credit: TNT Sports

7/10

THREE-WAY FIGHT BETWEEN THE FABIO'S AND MORBIDELLI

The VR46 riders continue their scrap around COTA, but Fabio Quartararo decides to insert himself into the battle and take advantage of Franco Morbidelli's move on his teammate. Morbidelli lost two positions in one go as the two Fabio's jump him for fourth and fifth place. However, Morbidelli refuses to give up and he snatches the place back from Quartararo and reclaims fifth place.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez keeps the lead of the Sprint race as he continues to build a gap to his brother Alex Marquez in second place. Once again, Francesco Bagnaia seems to be struggling with his pace as he falls short of the Marquez brothers.

Rookie Ai Ogura is running in 10th place, hoping to jump two more places to score some points in his maiden premier class campaign.

Quartararo's 'incredible' start to Sprint race analysed - 'So difficult to get through'

Video credit: TNT Sports

5/10

BAGNAIA STRUGGLES TO CATCH MARQUEZ BROTHERS

Fabio Quartararo lost his front tyre heading into Turn 15 in the tight corner and lost the position to Franco Morbidelli, who is looking to overtake Bagnaia for the final podium position. Meanwhile, the gap at the front is increasing with each lap as Marc Marquez cruises around the Circuit of the Americas.

The battle for eighth place picks up as Joan Mir attempts a move on Maverick Vinales and Pedro Acosta, but Mir crashes out of the Sprint race in Sector 3. Mir slid off track due to an aggressive dive into the corner, the same one he crashed out of this morning during practice.

Alex Marquez sits in second place, 0.8s behind his brother who may pick up another victory in America. The excitement is further back between the two VR46 riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio who follow each other around the track. Morbidelli is struggling to break free from his teammate as he picks up a tow, preserving his energy for the final few laps.

3/10

MARQUEZ BROTHERS IN CONTENTION FOR THE WIN

The seven-time COTA winner Marc Marquez has so far held onto his lead but the fight is as fierce as ever as his teammate Francesco Bagnaia tails right behind looking for a gap. Alex Marquez has jumped up to second place and sits just 0.5s behind his brother, but desperately defends from Bagnaia.

Bagnaia, however, has his own problems as Fabio Quartararo attempts to overtake the Ducati Lenovo rider in every single corner. Quartararo managed to overtake Fabio Di Giannantonio who started in second place and now runs in sixth after a wobble on the opening lap lost him a potential podium position.

Marc Marquez has seemingly settled into the race and stabilises the 0.5s gap to his brother, while the fight for the podium picks back up. Bagnaia is half a second slower than the Marquez brothers, and has fallen 1.5s behind the two.

Marquez recovers from ‘huge rear slide’ to retake lead in jaw-dropping start to Sprint race

Video credit: TNT Sports

1/10

MARC MARQUEZ DESPERATELY HOLDS ONTO LEAD AMID CHAOS

Marc Marquez kicks off the Saturday shootout with a lunge off the line but an eager Francesco Bagnaia jumped four riders ahead to snatch the lead from Marquez on his favorite track. Marquez pulled one back on Turn 3 with a sneaky dive on the inside of Bagnaia, taking his lead back with the feistiest of moves.

Alex Marquez creeps into the battle and hugs the rear of Bagnaia, almost jumping the Ducati Lenovo duo at Turn 8 but they retained track position. It all changed in a flash as Marc Marquez slipped up on the entry of Turn 17, sliding through the corner. He briefly lost the position as his brother and teammate stormed past him, but he managed to recover that shake back into a lead.

20:00

WARM-UP LAP

The riders have set off on the warm-up lap around COTA. It is an extremely sunny afternoon in Austin, and the air is a lovely 27°C with a slight breeze going through the track.

19:55

FIVE MINUTES TO GO

There are just five minutes to go until the riders set off around the iconic Circuit of the Americas. Marc Marquez occupies the front row with Fabio Di Giannantonio, but an eager Alex Marquez sits right behind looking for the perfect jump to the lead.

19:50

WHERE HAS FRANCESCO BAGNAIA BEEN?

The two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia has been somewhat absent so far this season, failing to take the fight directly to the Marquez brothers. Securing a sixth-place slot on the starting grid, Bagnaia seems to be falling further behind his new teammate.

His 2025 campaign has begun on a rocky note. Although he sits third in the Riders’ Standings, the mighty Marquez duo have managed to outpace the rest of the pack in each race so far. Instead, he has decided to look ahead to Qatar - one of his stronger tracks.

Bagnaia said: "If we had started the world championship in Qatar or Portimao, things would be different.

"But it's not that I started so badly. I finished on the podium and fourth in [the Argentina GP]. It's just that Marc and Alex [Marquez] did a better job."

'I am not happy’ - Bagnaia frustrated with fourth place at Grand Prix Argentina

Video credit: TNT Sports

19:45

IS ALEX MARQUEZ’S LUCK RUNNING OUT?

Gresini rider Alex Marquez sits on the second row once again, hoping to claim his maiden win in the premier class. He has come awfully close in the last two rounds, but it was his brother who stormed to victory in all four races.

He needs to best his brother - the six-time world champion with 63 victories under his belt. Alex Marquez is as close as ever, starting the season with consistent top three finishes in most sessions.

He looks more stable and confident on the bike this season compared to the last, and has reported riding much smoother during races. Is this finally the time for Alex Marquez to claim his first win?

19:40

MARQUEZ RELISHES IN LEWIS HAMILTON COMPARISONS

The six-time world champion Marc Marquez has relished recent comparisons to Lewis Hamilton after a dominant season-opener reignited conversations about the GOAT in motorcycle racing.

Marquez, in similar fashion to Hamilton, is breaking records in every single round he races in. Hoping to break his own record this weekend for most wins at COTA, Marquez could claim his eighth win on the iconic circuit.

Marquez said: "The common thing is that he changed manufacturers, he jumped to the red car this year, and he already has a good race in the sprint race, qualifying in the sprint race at the Chinese GP.

"It's a pleasure to me if they compare me with Lewis, because he's not only a really good driver, but a superstar.

"Of course, we have different styles, but it's always super nice if they compare [me to] a great athlete, doesn't matter which sport."

Grand Prix Americas

Marquez responds to 'superstar' Hamilton comparisons

28/03/2025 at 13:34

19:35

REIGNING CHAMP MARTIN STILL OUT

The reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin has yet to announce his official return to the premier class. After suffering an injury during testing and undergoing surgery on his wrist, Martin has been watching from the sidelines.

We are heading into the third round of the season, and Martin’s return to the sport is still unclear. During his surprise visit to the paddock this weekend, the Aprilia driver has hinted on a possible return in Qatar but it all depends on his recovery.

Martin said: "Really nice for me to be here.

"It’s difficult to watch from outside, but the recovery process is going well.

"For me, it’s very slow, but for the doctors, it's going really fast! So this is good.

"I'm optimistic that I will maybe try in Qatar. Let's see.

"But for sure, it was a big and nasty crash - much worse than it seems.

"The doctors will check again my condition in Barcelona next week, and then we will understand exactly how the bones are and how they are healing," Martin explained.

"Afterwards, we will take a decision [for Qatar], because even if you feel better, if the bone is not fully healed, you cannot go on track. So after that check, we will take a decision."

‘Long time before he’ll feel 100% again’ – Guintoli casts doubt on Qatar return for Martin

Video credit: TNT Sports

19:30

BACK TO COTA

Circuit of the Americas is one of the most adored tracks in all of motorsport. From Formula 1 to MotoGP, this circuit has hosted legends across all divisions of motor racing. For such a young circuit, it has certainly made its mark in Austin, Texas.

COTA was one of the very first purpose-built tracks for Formula 1. The Circuit of the Americas opened to the public to host Formula 1, IndyCar, and NASCAR. It was oddly built on top of clay-like soil, which has aged rather poorly.

The 3.426-mile circuit has 20 corners, with a distinct 41m elevation change at the end of the home-straight. The track has nine right-handers and 11 left-handers with a mixture of fast straights and tight hairpins.

17:25

THE PECKING ORDER

Marc Marquez has powered to another pole position, pulling off three consecutive poles in the opening rounds of the 2025 season. He claimed the fastest time of 2:01.088s, just 0.101s ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio. Alex Marquez continues his lucky streak in COTA, securing a third-place slot on the starting grid.

The starting gris is as follows:

1. Marc Marquez

2. Fabio Di Giannantonio

3. Alex Marquez

4. Pedro Acosta

5. Franco Morbidelli

6. Francesco Bagnaia

7. Luca Marini

8. Joan Mir

9. Jack Miller

10. Maverick Vinales

Marquez 'dominates' to claim third pole in a row at Grand Prix Americas

Video credit: TNT Sports

17:20

WHICH MOTOGP RACES ARE ON TNT SPORTS?

TNT Sports and discovery+ will show every practice session, every qualifying session and every Sprint Race and main Race of the MotoGP season.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.