Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1533905
ROUND 3 / MARCH 28-30, 2025 CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS / AUSTIN, TEXAS P90 Marini, Ogura and Quartararo completed the top 10. For the first time, Alex Mar - quez (87 points) leads the Mo- toGP standings and is one point clear of his brother, Marc (86). Bagnaia (75) has hauled himself back into the fight, 12 points back in third. MotoGP Sprint For the first time in 2025, the Sprint race resembled some- thing of a contest—for one lap at least. Bagnaia finally showed some fighting spirit and at- tempted to get under his team- mate's skin. The opening circuit was the best of the year to date. Mar- quez's average getaway allowed Bagnaia to breeze under at turn one, only to lose it on the cutback. He tried again with a a problem.' My left arm was already completely exhausted." It should have been five Duca - tis in the top five. Yet Fermin Aldeguer's (Gresini Ducati) epic comeback from 12th ended soon after he had passed Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha). The rookie crashed out three laps from home when lapping close to a second faster than Bagnaia. That left Miller free to collect a fine fifth after Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) had retired with a mechanical, Joan Mir (Honda Castrol) had crashed out, and Quartararo was beset by electronics issues. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) also made late progress, nabbing sixth in what was an otherwise troubled weekend for Aprilia, with Bastianini rising from 22nd to an impressive seventh. Alex Marquez had accepted the need to manage his own situa - tion. "When I was third, I nearly lost the front through turn 10," said the Catalan. "I knew then I shouldn't do anything stupid." And so, the Italian took his 30th premier class win by two sec - onds to put his name very much back in the title picture. Behind Bagnaia and Alex Marquez, Di Giannantonio made it two Italians on the podium, taking his first po - dium since November 2023, less than two months on from breaking his left collarbone. While unchallenged for third, his limited fitness proved to be his main obstacle. "I looked at my pitboard, hoping we were nearly finished," he said. "But there were still 11 laps to go. So, I was like, 'Oh, man. That's eye is on a berth in Honda's factory team for 2026 after a promising start to the year. The Frenchman is keen to move up from LCR to the factory squad as Luca Marini's contract expires at the end of this term. "A step up with the factory team could be very nice," he said. "It would be more something prestigious as a rider, and we have to evaluate these possibilities. And we only did two races. For sure, I started pretty well the season, and this pushes people to say, 'Okay, the next step is the factory team.' I would love it because it will be something pretty nice to keep pushing myself to trust about the podium, and also I want to think that for 2027." Briefly... ROAD RACE I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Honda had something to get excited about with Luca Marini's double eighths, his best finishes since joining the Honda HRC Castrol team.