MotoGP: Marc Marquez wins as Michelin delivers at Misano
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) beat Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) to win the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, Round 16 of the 2025 MotoGPTM World Championship. The lasting grip and consistency of Michelin's slicks kept the battle for supremacy alive all the way to the flag. In theory, Marquez could wrap up the title in Japan. Read on for more about what happened during the San Marino GP weekend.
The Spaniard leapt from fourth on the grid to second place at lights-out to pile pressure on pole-winner Bezzecchi from the outset. Racing on medium MICHELIN Powers front and rear, he was able to take advantage of an error by the Aprilia rider through Turn 8 to take control on the 16th of the afternoon's 27 laps.
Despite the new leader's pace, Bezzecchi (same tire pairing) never lost hope of recovering first place, however, and the two riders took turns to post the fastest race lap during the closing stages, aided by the longevity and consistency of their slicks. It was as late as Lap 25 that Marquez ultimately clocked the day's best effort.
Marquez's 11th victory of the season and 14th for Ducati means he will be crowned champion at the next grand prix if he scores three more points than Alex in Japan.
After winning Saturday's sprint, Bezzecchi finished just half-a-second shy of his rival on Sunday, with Alex Marquez third. Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team's Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio were fourth and fifth.
Again, Michelin's slicks performed strongly all weekend, providing grip and consistency for both races which were held in bright weather. All the riders combined the medium front with the soft rear for the sprint appetizer, while everyone with the exception of Ai Ogura (TrackHouse MotoGP Team) and Somkiat Chantra (Honda LCR) (soft rear) switched to the medium rear for Sunday's attraction. It was this combination that enabled Marquez and Bezzecchi to trade the fastest lap practically until the end!
With 512 points to his name, Marc Marquez is now 182 and 275 points clear respectively of brother Alex and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in the Riders' standings.
Misano also hosted the sixth and penultimate meeting of the MotoETM World Championship which saw Alessandro Zaconne (Aruba Cloud MotoE Team) and Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresino MotoE) share the weekend's wins. Ahead of November's finale at Portimao, Portugal, the former leads the provisional order, five points clear of Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team). The top seven are still in with a shout for the 2025 crown, however!
On Thursday, the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) and Dorna Sports announced that the all-electric series will stop at the end of the current season. Michelin has been a partner of the championship since 2019 and its 2025-spec front and rear MotoETM tires contain 56 and 58 percent recycled or renewable raw materials respectively.
Next round: Motul Grand Prix of Japan, Motegi (September 26-28).