Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) shook off his “Mr P2” tag by securing his first-ever MotoGP win at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain, becoming the new World Championship leader in the process. In a dramatic race that saw Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) crash out on Lap 3, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) held off Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to clinch his first Grand Prix podium since 2023.
The opening lap was a barnstormer, with Quartararo launching superbly from pole and Bagnaia slotting into second from third on the grid. Marc Marquez found himself in third, narrowly avoiding a collision with his brother Alex at Turn 6. The factory Ducati duo then engaged in a fierce battle, making contact as they fought for the same piece of tarmac, with Bagnaia ultimately coming out on top.
Disaster struck for the home hero on Lap 3 when Marc Marquez, while shadowing Bagnaia, crashed at Turn 8 while sitting in third place. The Spaniard’s race was not over, but his chances of victory had evaporated.
With Marquez out of contention, Quartararo led from Bagnaia, but Alex Marquez soon muscled his way past the Italian to take second and set his sights on the Frenchman. Further back, lead rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed at Turn 6 from fourth place.
On Lap 11, Alex Marquez made his move, passing Quartararo with an aggressive but clean maneuver at Turn 1 to take the lead. The Gresini rider quickly pulled away, building a gap of 1.7 seconds by Lap 16. Meanwhile, Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) closed in on the battling Quartararo and Bagnaia.
As the laps ticked down, Alex Marquez maintained his advantage, while Quartararo fended off the advances of Bagnaia. Despite the Italian’s best efforts, the Yamaha rider held firm, crossing the line in second place for his first podium finish in over a year.
Reflecting on his maiden victory, Alex Marquez said, “If they had ask me where I would have wanted my first MotoGP race win to take place, the answer would have been ‘Jerez’. We managed to do it and we were aware that it was possible already from Friday. I trusted the team and when I saw Marc crashing I thought it was my best chance of the season. It was fantastic, now we try to skip tomorrow’s test.”
Viñales secured fourth place, three seconds ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in fifth. Brad Binder and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Pedro Acosta finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in a much-improved showing for KTM. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) completed the top ten.
Marc Marquez salvaged a 12th-place finish after his early crash, collecting valuable points that could prove crucial in the championship battle.
The MotoGP paddock now heads to the legendary Le Mans circuit for the French Grand Prix, with Alex Marquez leading the title chase and eager to build on his breakthrough success in Jerez.
