In the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix Sprint on April 13, 2025, Beijing time, Marc Márquez maintained his strong form, starting from pole and winning after a battle for the lead with his brother. It was his fourth consecutive Sprint victory over Álex Márquez, and it returned him to the top of the MotoGP world championship standings.
Marc Márquez made an excellent start to take the lead immediately. At the start of lap two, however, Álex Márquez passed him at Turn 1 and briefly moved ahead. Álex ran slightly wide through the corner, allowing Marc to respond quickly and reclaim the lead. Álex repeatedly tried to attack on the inside, but Marc’s steady pace and assured control gradually opened a gap. Marc crossed the line first, with Álex second, 1.577 seconds behind. Álex now trailed his brother by two points in the riders’ standings.
Franco Morbidelli of VR46 Ducati finished third. Fabio Quartararo had started from the front row and made a strong getaway to run third initially, but Morbidelli passed him on the pit straight after the opening lap. Morbidelli held third for most of the race, although both Quartararo and Fermín Aldeguer challenged him strongly on the final lap. Quartararo made a mistake at the last corner and ran wide, allowing Aldeguer through into fourth for his best result in his MotoGP career. Quartararo finished fifth.
Fabio Di Giannantonio made a poor start but used a series of strong overtakes to recover from further back and finish sixth. Ai Ogura took seventh for Trackhouse Aprilia. Marc Márquez’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia had crashed in qualifying and started eleventh. He made little significant progress in the Sprint, gaining a few places as some riders who had chosen soft tyres encountered trouble, and finished eighth.
Reigning world champion Jorge Martín showed encouraging signs on his return from injury. He briefly climbed to eleventh and even overtook his 2024 title rival Bagnaia. As the race went on, however, his physical condition affected his performance, and he finished sixteenth. The following day’s Qatar Grand Prix would be twice the Sprint distance, presenting Martín with a greater challenge. Honda rider Joan Mir withdrew from the Sprint because he was unwell, and it remained unclear whether he could race in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Some riders struggled in the Sprint after choosing soft rear tyres, including Maverick Viñales, Johann Zarco and Pedro Acosta. They gradually lost places, making the midfield battle more intense and creating repeated overtaking opportunities.
Marc Márquez would head into the Grand Prix with confidence from his Sprint victory. His consistent performances strengthened his prospects of winning the main race. The other riders would also give their all in an attempt to change the outcome. The Qatar Grand Prix promised an even more exciting contest, with fans around the world waiting to see who would prevail.
2025 MotoGP Round 4 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint results
| Position | No. | Rider | Team | Laps completed | Total time | Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Ducati Team | 11 | 20’38.304 | — | 12 |
| 2 | 73 | Álex Márquez | Gresini Racing | 11 | 20’39.881 | +1.577 | 9 |
| 3 | 21 | Franco Morbidelli | VR46 Racing Team | 11 | 20’42.292 | +3.988 | 7 |
| 4 | 54 | Fermín Aldeguer | Gresini Racing | 11 | 20’42.673 | +4.369 | 6 |
| 5 | 20 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha Team | 11 | 20’42.897 | +4.593 | 5 |
| 6 | 49 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | VR46 Racing Team | 11 | 20’43.403 | +5.099 | 4 |
| 7 | 79 | Ai Ogura | Trackhouse Racing | 11 | 20’48.503 | +10.199 | 3 |
| 8 | 63 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Team | 11 | 20’48.638 | +10.334 | 2 |
| 9 | 72 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | 11 | 20’49.604 | +11.300 | 1 |
| 10 | 12 | Maverick Viñales | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 11 | 20’50.858 | +12.554 | 0 |
| 11 | 37 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 11 | 20’51.980 | +13.676 | 0 |
| 12 | 42 | Álex Rins | Yamaha Team | 11 | 20’52.577 | +14.273 | 0 |
| 13 | 23 | Enea Bastianini | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 11 | 20’52.712 | +14.408 | 0 |
| 14 | 33 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 11 | 20’53.763 | +15.459 | 0 |
| 15 | 10 | Luca Marini | Honda Team | 11 | 20’53.891 | +15.587 | 0 |
| 16 | 1 | Jorge Martín | Aprilia Racing | 11 | 20’54.079 | +15.775 | 0 |
| 17 | 25 | Raúl Fernández | Trackhouse Racing | 11 | 20’54.621 | +16.317 | 0 |
| 18 | 7 | Augusto Fernández | Pramac Racing | 11 | 20’56.226 | +17.922 | 0 |
| 19 | 43 | Jack Miller | Pramac Racing | 11 | 20’58.578 | +20.274 | 0 |
| 20 | 35 | Somkiat Chantra | Idemitsu Honda LCR | 11 | 21’09.410 | +31.106 | 0 |
| Did not finish | 5 | Johann Zarco | Castrol Honda LCR | 8 | 15’29.987 | 3 laps | 0 |
Results verified against Official MotoGP Sprint classification (© DORNA, 2025). The table includes riders recorded in the official results as non-finishers, without a time or with a cancelled result. A revised classification is used when one has been issued.
