Marc Marquez wins Qatar MotoGP after crash with brother Alex

Marquez claims seventh win of 2025 MotoGP season after surviving early collision with Alex.

Marc Marquez of Spain and the Ducati Lenovo Team rides down a straight during the MotoGP race at the Qatar Grand Prix at Losail Circuit on April 13, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Mirco Lazzari/Getty Images

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Marc Marquez wins Qatar MotoGP after crash with brother Alex during a dramatic first lap at Lusail International Circuit, claiming his seventh victory in eight races this season. The Ducati rider overcame an early setback when Alex Marquez collided with his rear wheel at turn two, but the older Marquez kept his bike upright and stormed back to take the checkered flag in a masterful display of pace and strategy.

“Luckily for both of us we stayed on the bike,” said Marc after the race, summarizing what could have been a disaster but instead turned into yet another chapter in his 2025 MotoGP resurgence.

First-lap chaos between the Marquez brothers

Marc Marquez started the Qatar MotoGP from pole position, looking to continue his blistering form. However, any thoughts of a clean getaway vanished just seconds into the race. At the first corner, Marc slid slightly under braking, which caught his younger brother Alex by surprise. Unable to react in time, Alex slammed into the back of Marc's Ducati.

“First corner I did a mistake, for that reason Alex hit me,” admitted Marc, adding that he had to make a slight adjustment to avoid a wider incident. Alex agreed, saying, “I didn’t expect him there.”

Despite the contact, both riders remained upright. But while Marc managed to quickly recover and maintain a competitive position, Alex lost part of his bike in the collision and would later be hit with a long-lap penalty for a separate incident involving Fabio Di Giannantonio. Alex ultimately finished sixth, marking his worst result of the 2025 season.

Vinales and Bagnaia challenge for the podium

The chaos at the front opened opportunities for the chasing pack. Franco Morbidelli, riding for the Ducati VR46 team, briefly surged ahead, but he couldn’t maintain the lead. Maverick Vinales, showing solid pace on his KTM, gradually made his way through the field and took the lead mid-race. Francesco Bagnaia also made a move, overtaking Marc Marquez at one point.

Yet Marc, showing patience and confidence, managed his tyre wear expertly. With seven laps remaining, he executed a clean pass on Vinales to reclaim the top spot and never looked back.

“I told you before the race, I need to manage the tyres,” Marc explained. “The way we managed the race today was super clever. I just pushed the last five laps.”

Penalty drama shifts final podium order

While Marc Marquez crossed the line 1.8 seconds ahead of Vinales, the final results changed after the checkered flag. Vinales was penalized post-race for running with illegal tyre pressure. That demoted him from second to fourth, promoting Bagnaia to second and Morbidelli to third.

This was a huge moment for Morbidelli, who had been struggling earlier in the season. It was also a significant development in the championship standings, where every point counts in what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested title race.

Jorge Martin crashes again, hospitalised

The day was especially grim for reigning world champion Jorge Martin. Returning to competition after recovering from several bone fractures suffered during pre-season, Martin was still nursing his left hand. Unfortunately, he suffered another crash with eight laps to go and was seen kneeling in the gravel, visibly in pain.

His team later released a medical update, confirming that Martin had suffered a pneumothorax—a collapsed lung—which required suction drainage after hospital scans. The injury puts his future participation in the next few rounds in serious doubt.

Marquez takes control of the title fight

With this latest triumph, Marc Marquez has not only won the Qatar MotoGP after crashing with his brother, but also pulled away in the championship standings. Starting the weekend one point behind Alex Marquez, he now sits 17 points clear at the top of the table.

It was also a historic weekend for the eight-time world champion, as he took pole, won both the sprint and the main race, and set a new lap record at a track where he had not won since 2014.

Ducati Lenovo rider Marc Marquez of Spain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after winning the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, north of Doha, on April 13, 2025. Photo by Karim Jaafar/AFP

“This is the most important weekend of the season so far because it is one of my weak circuits,” Marc said. “But I was able to come back to the top of the championship.”

One slip in Austin, but a perfect record elsewhere

The 2025 season has been nearly perfect for Marc Marquez. Sunday’s victory in Qatar marked his third main race win in the last four weekends. He has also claimed victory in every sprint race this season. The only blemish on his record came in Austin, where he crashed out while leading the race.

“One way to make up for the mistake of Austin,” he said with a wry smile. “When it’s difficult, I’m more concentrated. When it’s easy, I make stupid mistakes I need to avoid.”

Marc's ability to bounce back from adversity—and turn it into dominance—has been the story of the season so far. From dealing with a family collision to managing tyre strategy, he showed the kind of maturity and race intelligence that has defined his career.

Europe awaits

With Qatar behind them, the paddock now turns its attention to the European leg of the MotoGP calendar. The next race will take place in Jerez, a track where Marc has historically been strong. The question now is whether anyone can stop the runaway train that is Marc Marquez.

Bagnaia will surely fancy his chances on home soil, while Vinales will look to bounce back from the tyre pressure penalty. Morbidelli’s return to the podium is also a welcome development in a year where Ducati has multiple title contenders.

As for Jorge Martin, much will depend on his recovery timeline. But with Marc Marquez pulling away, any absence could prove critical to his title defense.