The first-ever Tissot Sprint at Brno brought fresh asphalt, unpredictable grip levels, and plenty of tension as the 2025 season rolled on. Francesco Bagnaia started from his first pole of the year, but it was teammate Marc Márquez who once again proved unstoppable on a Saturday.
Despite an early shuffle due to tyre pressure issues, the #93 Ducati Lenovo Team rider powered back to the front and secured another Sprint win, holding off Pedro Acosta and Enea Bastianini in the closing laps. The result marked KTM’s first double podium of the season, with Acosta second for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Bastianini third for Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Márquez later explained the unusual mid-race slowdown that briefly handed Acosta the lead.
“The fact that we weren’t able to ride in the dry yesterday, combined with the new asphalt, led to unusual tyre behaviour and made things trickier for the engineers,” he said. “Our front tyre pressure was slightly low, which is why I let Acosta through and stayed close to him to raise the tyre temperature and, as a result, the pressure. I knew I had the pace to stick with him, and during the penultimate lap I saw that the pressure was within a safe range again, so I started pushing.”
Early exchanges: elbows out from Lap 1
Bagnaia snatched the holeshot, but by Turn 3, Márquez was through. Behind them, chaos unfolded as Alex Marquez slipped back to 19th after a poor start, while Augusto Fernandez went down at Turn 3 on Lap 2, taking out Takaaki Nakagami. Both riders were out on the spot.
Acosta quickly slotted into third and soon overtook Fabio Quartararo, who had been trading paint with Marco Bezzecchi at Turn 10. Defending Champion Jorge Martin, returning from injury, climbed to seventh in the early phase.
Tyre games: Ducati duo drop, then fight back
By Lap 4, Bastianini moved past Quartararo for fourth, but further ahead, Bagnaia began to slow, slipping behind Acosta, Bastianini and Quartararo. Márquez soon followed suit, lifting off just enough to allow Acosta through.
It became clear that both Ducati riders were managing front tyre pressure as mandated by MotoGP’s strict monitoring regulations. Once stabilised, they were both back on the pace — and the final three laps featured a fierce battle for the win.
Bezzecchi climbed past Bagnaia for fifth, while Raul Fernandez loomed large just behind.
Final push: Márquez pounces, Acosta impresses
On the penultimate lap, Bezzecchi surged into fourth with a strong move on Quartararo. Ahead of him, Márquez made his decisive attack on Acosta through Turns 8 and 9, timing the move to perfection and reclaiming the lead.
Acosta’s P2 marked his first Sprint podium since Aragon 2024. For Bastianini, P3 was his first top-three finish of the season, helping KTM celebrate a two-bike Sprint podium at a circuit where they have shone before.
Post-race inspection briefly placed Márquez’s victory under review due to tyre pressure concerns, but his win was swiftly confirmed.
Final standings: Bezzecchi close, Martin still rusty
Bezzecchi crossed the line in fourth ahead of Quartararo. Raul Fernandez came through late to take sixth, ahead of polesitter Bagnaia. Johann Zarco and stand-in Pol Espargaro rounded out the points, while Jorge Martin, in his return race, could only manage 11th behind Brad Binder.
Alex Marquez endured a nightmare and finished 17th, scoring no points and slipping further behind his brother in the championship standings.
Sunday awaits with everything still to play for.
