Ducati Lenovo Team driver Francesco Bagnaia claimed the win at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday to pick up his first victory of the 2025 season.
After qualifying sixth, Bangaia displayed mettle while defending first place. Bagnaia took the spot from teammate Marc Márquez when a costly mistake ended the Italian’s race. After overtaking BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP driver Álex Márquez in an exchange battle for second place, Bagnaia was able to fend off the Spaniard using his own techniques against him.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Bagnaia said of the win. “As soon as I saw [M. Márquez] crashing, I was just trying to continue pushing to open the gap to Alex because in that moment, it was very close, and it wasn’t easy. The first two races I was struggling — this weekend has given me a lot to improve and find what I was searching for.”
M. Márquez started the race strong as he pulled away into turn one to create a lead over his brother and Bagnaia, who were chasing each other for second and third. A. Márquez was able to hold off the Italian by keeping turns tight and being late on the breaks until lap four.
Crashing out on the ninth lap, M. Márquez clipped the curb and lost control. The crash resulted in him dropping to last place and surrendering his two-second gap to Bagnaia. In the next four laps, M. Márquez recovered to No. 18 but chose to retire on lap 13, resulting in a no points finish. The crash marks the second year in a row that he has crashed out of the Austin race.
“We did the most difficult thing in the easiest moment of the race,” M. Márquez said. “When I was controlling the distance, I cut a bit too much that curb in Turn 5, and I lost the front. It was completely my mistake.”
Snatching up second place for the first time this season, Bagnaia overtook A. Márquez as the Spanish driver failed to obstruct him any longer on turn 13. By being late on the breaks along with the slipstream and inside line advantage, Bagnaia prevailed. As a result of finishing the race behind the Italian, Á. Márquez now leads the drivers championship with one point over his brother.
“Really happy about how we’re managing everything,” A. Márquez said, reflecting on the race. “We are constantly in the top three in every session, every qualifying and all that. Leading the championship is something really amazing.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team finished third overall — earning his first podium since 2023 after qualifying second, dropping to fourth and gaining a spot following the Márquez crash.
“We put so much work into it,” Di Giannantonio said of the finish. “It’s a super [great] feeling. I can’t thank my team enough because they’ve always been by my side. [They] always believe in me. It’s not a thing to take for granted. We knew around here would be tough.”
Round four of the 2025 season will continue at 12 p.m. on April 13 in Qatar at the Lusail International Circuit.
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