FERMIN ALDEGUER JOINS VR46: RACING FOR DUCATI THROUGH 2028

A two-year contract and a factory bike for the Spanish rider, who's leaving Gresini to start anew with the "Rossa" team led by Valentino Rossi

Starting with the 2027 season and for the next two years, Fermín Aldeguer will be racing in the fluorescent yellow colors of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. The rider from Spain, currently in his second year in the MotoGP, will be a Ducati Corse factory rider and ride a factory Ducati Desmosedici GP.

Born in 2005, Aldeguer is the youngest rider on the grid and one of the greatest talents on the MotoGP scene, as he already demonstrated on the track. He took his first steps in Spain by winning regional and national championships and made his World Championship debut in 2021 in the MotoE, after winning European series. In the all-electric category, he immediately showed his stuff, earning a spot in the Moto2. He also demonstrated his potential in the intermediate class, quickly becoming one of the most highly regarded and sought-after riders. 

His MotoGP debut came in 2025, when he secured three podium finishes and his first victory in the premier class (in Indonesia), becoming the second-youngest rider ever to win in the category. He finished his debut season in the Top 10 and was named Rookie of the Year. Currently, Aldeguer is eleventh in the championship, with one podium finish (Barcelona) to his credit, despite having missed three races.

The Spanish rider is eagerly anticipating this new challenge. “I’m very happy to take this step in my MotoGP career with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. Signing with Valentino’s team is incredible. He’s always been one of my idols, a role model. I think having him on the team will help me improve as a rider thanks to his valuable advice. The VR46 Racing Team is the Ducati Factory Supported Team—an extremely professional team—and I’m happy to be racing with them. With the new regulations for 2027, my goal will be to adapt to the new tires, but also to the new bike. Having the factory Ducati will help immensely with development throughout the season. It's going to be a year in which we’ll aim to be consistent, avoid mistakes, and spend as much time as possible on the bike to gather data. I’m sure we’ll work very well with the entire team and the Ducati engineers. We’ll be able to do a great job and aim to consistently finish in the top five. I can’t conclude without a word of thanks to the entire Gresini Racing team and to Nadia, who have helped me grow and brought me this far.”

Alessio Salucci added by saying, “We’re thrilled to confirm that Fermín will race with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in 2027. He’s a young rider who has shown great talent since his MotoGP debut, where he immediately made a name for himself. We can’t wait to welcome him to the team, where he’ll ride a factory Desmosedici GP as an official Ducati Corse rider. We’ll give him our full support to help him achieve our goals. Once again, I’d like to thank Ducati for its full support—both on a personal and technical level—and all our partners, who are backing this incredible project.”

Among those who have always believed in Aldeguer’s talent is certainly Gigi Dall’Igna. “We're very happy to announce the renewal of our agreement with Fermín for the next two seasons. Since his arrival in the MotoGP, he has demonstrated extraordinary talent, a great capacity to learn, and a determination that immediately impressed us. He's still a very young rider, but his potential is enormous, and we're convinced he has plenty of room to grow. For this reason, we've decided to further invest in him, reaffirming our confidence in a project that is clearly focused on the future. We believe that the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team represents the ideal environment for him to continue his journey. In recent years, the team has proven its ability to bring out the best in young talent and to be a truly competitive force in the Championship. We're certain that, here, Fermín will have everything he needs to continue growing and achieving significant milestones. At Ducati, we strongly believe in his potential.”

Pablo Nieto was also present to welcome Fermín. “It's with great pride that we welcome Fermín Aldeguer to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. A rider who has proven to have great talent. Despite his young age, he has already shown maturity and proven himself capable of handling a very demanding championship like the MotoGP. It’s by no means easy to win in the premier class, and he’s already done so in his first year. We have a lot of confidence in him, because we know he has the potential to fight for whatever he sets his mind to. As a team, we’ll be ready to support him every step of the way and make things as easy as possible for him.”

Finally, a special message from Nadia Padovani. “When you first got on our bike, you brought a breath of fresh energy, passion, and an incredible desire to win. Watching you grow and compete in our colors has been—and continues to be—a source of immense pride. We’ll stand by your side, just like on the first day, to give you all the love this team has to offer. Let’s have fun until the very end. Let’s open the throttle as wide as we can. 2027 can wait.”

APRILIA LAND FRANCESCO BAGNAIA IN MAJOR MOTOGP RIDER MARKET COUP

Two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia is officially joining Aprilia next year after much speculation about the Italian's future.

After yesterday's triple-announcement from Ducati, in which Marc Marquez's contract was renewed and Pedro Acosta was confirmed to join the team next year while Bagnaia departs, many believed that it wouldn't be long until the Aprilia deal was confirmed.

As reported by GP Blog several months ago, the rumours linking Bagnaia to Aprilia have been around for some time now. It is no secret that 'Pecco' Bagnaia has struggled to adapt since the arrival of Marc Marquez in the team, winning just two races in as many years since the Spaniard joined.

Like many of the suspected deals in the MotoGP rider market, Bagnaia's inevitable exit from Ducati was delayed due to the finalization of a 'concorde agreement' between MotoGP Group and the respective manufacturers. Fortunately, the deal was signed at last weekend's Czech Grand Prix, leading to a cascade of announcements this week and likely even more in the immediate future.

An all-Italian line-up

Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola has made it clear that he views Aprilia as a 'national team' for Italy, in contrast to Ducati's recent decision to favour Spanish riders. Having already secured current championship leader Marco Bezzecchi on a multi-year deal, Aprilia is now signing an even more experienced and proven Italian star.

With a massive regulation overhaul set to be introduced next year, there is no telling whether Aprilia will still be one of the frontrunners. However, with Bagnaia and Bezzecchi at the helm, it is clear that Aprilia have already secured one of the most promising rider lineups for 2027.

This means that Jorge Martin is going to make way, with rumours linking him heavily to Yamaha next year. It is no secret that the Spaniard and 2024 World Champion has not has the best of times with the Italian manufacturer, and even almost came to blows with his own boss in Catalonia.

Elswhere, there are several other major announcements expected later in the week. Fabio Quartararo is likely to leave Yamaha for Honda next year, with Ogura joining Martin in blue. VR46 have yet to confirm the arrival of Nicolo Bulega, but that is also expected soon. Meanwhile the fates of Joan Mir, Luca Marini, Brad Binder, Jack Miller, Franco Morbidelli, Alex Rins, Maverick Vinales and Raul Fernandez remain uncertain.

- Andrew McLarney

DUCATI STATEMENT REVEALS HINT INTO PEDRO ACOSTA MOTOGP SIGNING

Ducati calls Pedro Acosta “one of the most talented riders in MotoGP” after confirming the KTM rider’s signature

Pedro Acosta, 2026 Czech MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose

Ducati admits that signing Pedro Acosta was a target “for some time” after finally confirming the KTM rider for the 2027 MotoGP season. 

Acosta has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Italian manufacturer, where he will replace the outgoing Francesco Bagnaia, who is expected to join Aprilia Racing. 

Ducati announced Bagnaia’s departure on Wednesday morning, before confirming the news that had been expected since the opening few races of 2026.

Pedro Acosta, Francesco Bagnaia, 2025 Japanese MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose

Acosta will line-up alongside Marc Marquez, who himself committed his future to Ducati with a new two-year deal of his own on Monday.

Acosta and Marquez will form one of the most talented rider pairings the sport has ever seen, and it will be the most high-profile since Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha. 

Ducati was known to be a big admirer of Acosta in previous years, so it’s therefore no surprise that the Bologna-based company pushed hard to sign the Spaniard when it did. 

Signing Acosta comes at a particularly interesting time, with MotoGP set to transition into the new 850cc era in 2027. 

Alongside Marquez, Acosta will no doubt be expected to lead Ducati over the next two years by challenging for race wins and the title.

Pedro Acosta, 2026 Czech MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose

However, it’s also clear that Ducati sees Acosta as the long-term future of their MotoGP project given he is only 22 years of age.

Speaking about the signing of Acosta, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said: “Pedro is undoubtedly one of the most talented young riders in the MotoGP paddock. 

“At just 22 years old, he is the kind of rider with whom a new and exciting chapter can be written. 

“We have always liked him and have been following him for some time, both for what he has achieved on track and for his direct and easy-going personality, which we are sure will make Ducatisti fall in love with him once he is dressed in red. 

“We believe that, alongside Marc, he represents the ideal complement for a team that - building on its history and on the results achieved in recent years - wants to continue playing a leading role in the future and remain a source of admiration, respect and support for Ducati fans all around the world”.

- Robert Jones

MARC MARQUEZ UNDERGOES DOUBLE SURGERY AFTER NASTY FRENCH GP CRASH

Two surgeries in quick succession for Marquez, who is now heading home to continue rehabilitation 

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Ducati Corse

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez underwent two successful operations on Sunday morning after flying back to Madrid during the French Grand Prix weekend.

The factory Ducati rider was forced to withdraw from the remainder of the Le Mans round after breaking his foot in a nasty highside in the sprint race.

Marquez returned to Spain on Saturday night before heading to a hospital in the morning for double surgery.

The first procedure addressed the fifth metatarsal on his right foot, which he broke when he hit the ground on the penultimate lap of the sprint.

The second operation was aimed at recovering two screws that had become dislodged from their positions when he was hit by Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi at last October’s Indonesian Grand Prix. 

This corrective action had originally been scheduled for the week after the Catalan Grand Prix, with doctors having identified the issue after Marquez reported pain in the wake of a tough race at Jerez. However, he had not disclosed this planned surgery to the public prior to Saturday’s crash.

The nine-time world champion will now return home to continue his rehabilitation. He has already been ruled out from next week’s Barcelona race, and his participation in the Italian Grand Prix on 31 May remains subject to his recovery.

“Marc Marquez is currently recovering at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid, where he underwent successful double surgery this morning,” Ducati said in a statement.

"The medical team, led by Dr. Samuel Antuna alongside colleagues Dr. Ignacio Roger de Ona, Dr. Andres Maldonado, Dr. Jorge de las Heras, Dr. Raul Barco and Dr. Juan de Miguel, successfully stabilised the fracture in the fifth metatarsal of the rider’s right foot. This injury was sustained yesterday as a consequence of the highside crash in the final stages of the sprint race at the French Grand Prix.

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images 
Message of support for Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

"Simultaneously, Marquez underwent a second, pre-planned surgical procedure to fix a past injury in his right shoulder. This previous trauma had become painful again following the violent crash at last year’s Indonesian Grand Prix. The doctors removed two screws and a bone fragment from a previous Latarjet (December 2019) surgery that has shifted compressing the radial nerve.

"As previously announced, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider will not participate in next week's Catalan GP. He will remain in the hospital overnight and he will back home tomorrow to begin the rehabilitation. The progress over the upcoming weeks will determine the time for his return to competitions.”

Following his withdrawal from Sunday’s Le Mans race, Marquez has slipped to seventh in the standings, 71 behind championship leader Bezzecchi.

- Rachit Thukral

FOTI: "KUDOS TO BASSANI - EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT HE DID ON THE DUCATI BACK IN THE DAY"

“Axel is a fast rider; this is a crucial moment for Bulega. I don’t want to think about an alliance between manufacturers that would further penalize Ducati.”

In the Superbike paddock, there’s a lot of talk about the potential of this Ducati, which is stealing the show. At Balaton, the Red machine delivered yet another dominant performance, and there’s really not much more to say about it.

In the post-race interview, we caught up with Serafino Foti, who gave us his take on Ducati’s current situation in this Championship. Bulega is dominating, and there seem to be no rivals to challenge him.

“Nicolò has set a new record for wins, reaching 16, and I think that’s truly extraordinary,” he told us. “Iker is also doing really well; in fact, he’s delivering top-level performances. There are still a few things to iron out, but we’re very happy.”

The question is how much margin Niccolò still has on this bike. 

“I don’t think it’s that much, because on Sunday we saw some incredibly close races. Niccolò said so himself; in fact, he pushed to the limit and gave it his all. It’s impressive when we compare it to Toprak’s race last year, when he won by a wide margin, beating Niccolò by about 10 seconds. But this year the race was 18 seconds faster—that’s almost a second per lap. All of this is thanks to the tyres and the work of our technicians. Ducati has a strong presence on the grid, but our guys are truly obsessive about their work. And, in my opinion, we also have the best riders in the Superbike Championship.

Do you think Bulega is ready for the big leap?

“Nicolò will test the MotoGP bike. We’re at a crucial moment in his career. As for MotoGP, since I’m not directly involved, I’m keeping an eye on things from the sidelines; in fact, I listen to what he tells me and what’s coming out of the paddock. But it’s clear that, at this point, he deserves a chance, given that he’s reached an incredible level. Bulega is no longer the rider everyone remembers from five years ago, when he was in Moto2. Today he’s matured, he’s grown, and he’s at a higher level, with truly significant potential.”

Why does he deserve a chance? 

“Because he’s fast. Regardless of the team or the bike, he’s a rider who deserves a chance, also because he’s only 26 and can do well in MotoGP too.”

Regarding the regulations, Axel Bassani told us that Ducati shouldn’t be penalized or limited, because if a manufacturer is performing well, it’s only fair that they bring their full potential to the track. 

“That speaks to his credit, and we’re pleased about it. It’s true, we’ve homologated a new bike, but behind that is a lot of work and a major investment by the company. It’s not Ducati’s fault that they’ve built an extraordinary production bike, given that the production bike is already incredible.”

So you agree with him…

“I believe the others need to roll up their sleeves too, just as we did in the past. Let’s remember that Kawasaki won six consecutive world championships. BMW is competitive today, even though I’m sorry about Oliveira’s injury. In my opinion, Bassani said the right thing: instead of penalizing those who are fast, we need to work on improving ourselves.”

Do you think we’ll see him back on a Ducati?

“As for his future, I’m sorry to see a rider like him struggling after a good start to the season. Bassani is fast, and I’m convinced he’ll bounce back soon. We all know what he’s done in the past on a Ducati.”

Given the current situation, do you fear some sort of alliance among manufacturers to further penalize Ducati? 

“There is a set of rules agreed upon by all manufacturers, and we abide by them. I believe in cycles: we see it in MotoGP too, with Ducati in the lead, then Aprilia, while in SBK it’s Kawasaki and BMW. There are times when you win and others when you struggle. When the tough times come for us, we won’t think about penalizing the winners, but about working to improve our bike.”

DUCATI'S PODIUM STREAK 🔥

 

CLASSIC SEASON OPENER: MASIA CLAIMS VICTORY AS BAYLISS SECURES DREAM HONE PODIUM AT PHILLIP ISLAND

With his rostrum result, Bayliss becomes Australia’s youngest-ever WorldSSP podium finisher

Lights are out at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign as the field sunk their teeth into the new season in Saturday’s Race 1! The first race of 2026’s 12 rounds featured Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) taking the first 25 points on offer for his third career WorldSSP win. Joining him on the campaign’s first podium was German rider Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) for his 14th podium in the category and home hero Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) who claimed his first WorldSSP rostrum.

MASIA FLIES OUT OF THE GATE IN 2026: He closed 2025 with a win, and now opens 2026 doing the same

Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) flew up from P4 to take the holeshot ahead of Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) and Jaume Masia. The Spaniard flexed his Ducati Panigale V2’s straight line speed as he took P1 from the #61 and built up a healthy gap of nearly a second by the outset of Lap 3. The Spaniard converted his dominant pace in testing to land the first race win of the season, as from there he pulled away for the win; finishing the contest with a gap of over five seconds. Oettl missed the 2025 Australian Round with a knee injury, but this season, he started strong with a rostrum finish in second place. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) saw his race end on Turn 4 in the second lap as the bike slid out from under him as he battled with Oettl for the second spot on the podium.

FIVE-WAY FIGHT FOR THE PODIUM: Bayliss, Arena, Oncu, Mahias, and Debise trade blows

Oncu had a healthy gap of around a second behind him on Lap 8 as he rode in P3; until a mistake on that Lap saw Oli Bayliss, Valentin, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) close the gap and start a fight for the final podium spot. Debise had a tough break as he fell out of the fight on Lap 8 after he entered Turn 4 with a fraction too much lean angle and crashed out of Race 1. Bayliss took the lead of the group, until he lost the lead by running wide onto the grass on Turn 6 of Lap 13, just before Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) crashed out of the race on Turn 4. The Australian recovered well to hang with the other two riders, and after the trio traded overtakes throughout the final eight laps, it was Bayliss who came out on top, earning his first WorldSSP podium of his career. The bronze-medal effort got the monkey off of his back after the longest-ever wait for a WorldSSP podium of 84 races, and claimed Australia’s first rostrum result since Anthony West back in 2017.

ARENAS HITS THE GROUND RUNNING: The Spanish rider starts his WorldSSP story in P4

Behind them, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) rode well in his WorldSSP debut, finishing P4 with the feather in his cap of winning the final laps shootout with the title favourite Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing). Despite his incredible jump off the line, the Turk’s early mistake proved critical, erasing his gap and miring him in a wrestling match through which he fell to P5. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) ran a clean race, taking advantage of other riders’ errors to land a strong debut result of sixth place.

VOSTATEK TIES CAREER HIGH: The Czech rider maintained his strong speed from testing

Ondrej Vostatek (Compos Racing Team) tied his career-best result of P7 in the season-opening race, emerging just +0.158 faster than 2025 MotoE Champion Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team), who took P8. Spanish riders Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) landed in the final two positions of the top ten. Alcoba’s effort landed him as the top Kawasaki, as his two-time WorldSSP Champion teammate Dominique Aegerter (Kawaski WorldSSP Team) suffered a tech issue on the last lap and finished in P23.

The top ten of the season-opening WorldSSP Race 1 at Australia: Full results here!

 1. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura)

 2. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +5.521s

 3. Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +7.266s

 4. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +7.721s

 5. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +7.743s

 6. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) +11.856s

 Fastest lap: Jaume Masia, Ducati – 1’32.310s

Catch the final race of the season-opening Australian Round on Sunday LIVE with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

- WORLDSBK 

BREAKING: MOTOGP LEGEND VALENTINO ROSSI HAS NAMED PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RIDER

The 2027 season's technical changes will mark a new era for MotoGP, with a reduction in engine capacity from 1000cc to 850cc and a change in tire supplier from Michelin to Pirelli. Rossi views the 2026 season as a transitional phase, as all manufacturers begin focusing on 2027 motorcycle projects to pursue or maintain technical dominance.

Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi has confirmed that he has already named the rider who will defend the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team for the 2027 MotoGP season, although the rider's identity is still being kept secret.

On the other hand, despite rumors that VR46 would move to Aprilia, Rossi indicated that his team would remain with Ducati in 2027. He expressed full confidence in the development of Ducati's new 850cc bike.

#Valentinorossi #Pertaminaenduro #VR46 #Ducatiteam #MotoGP

- MotoGP World

VR46 STAR MAKES INTRIGUING COMPARISON AFTER DEBUT MOTOGP TEST

Celestino Vietti offered some interesting feedback on the VR46 MotoGP bike after the Valencia test

 

Celestino Vietti, VR46 Ducati, 2025 Valencia test
© Gold and Goose
 

VR46 Academy star Celestino Vietti says the Ducati MotoGP bike he tried on Tuesday at the Valencia test required a riding style “more or less similar” to Moto2.

The Italian was called up by the VR46 squad on Sunday night to stand in for Franco Morbidelli in Tuesday’s Valencia MotoGP test, after the latter injured his wrist in a bizarre startline crash.

Vietti completed 24 laps on the Desmosedici at a best time of 1m32.511s, which was 3.138s off the best pace and 1.314s behind 2026 MotoGP rookie Diogo Moreira.

Rookies always make note of the difference in power and braking performance on a MotoGP bike compared to what they are used to in Moto2.

However, Vietti noted that the braking zones for a MotoGP bike were the same as he used in Moto2, while the way of actually riding was very similar too.

“It was a really special day, a day I will never forget,” he said.

“The bike is impressively fast on the straights, but also the power of the brakes to stop the bike is really impressive.

“You brake like Moto2, but a lot, lot faster.

“So, it was really a special day. I want to say thanks to everybody: Ducati, VR46, and my team in Moto2. I’m so sorry for Franco, who had to miss the test.

“It’s really physical, especially the braking, because you arrive really fast, but the metres you stop the bike are more or less the same [as Moto2].

“The handling I was expecting it to be stiffer, but the bike is light and you can ride it in a really good way, more or less like Moto2.

“So, I didn’t do a lot of laps, so I feel good. Maybe if I did more laps I’d be more tired.”

He added: “Now the Moto2 with the Triumph engine, you have to pick it up, you have to do the drive, a lot of corner speed - a bit more than MotoGP, but it’s something similar.

“So, more or less, the riding style is similar.”

Next year will be the 24-year-old’s sixth season in Moto2, with his performances so far not doing enough to earn a promotion to the premier class.

Asked if he felt this test would boost his immediate MotoGP hopes, he replied: “I don’t think so.

“It’s a present from the team; I really appreciate it.

“Maybe it’s more an extra motivation for me to try to do well in Moto2 and try to have the opportunity to ride it more.”

 - Peter McLaren

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION MARC MARQUEZ CONFIRMS HE WILL MISS REMAINDER OF 2025 SEASON

2025 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez has confirmed he will sit out the remainder of the season after further tests on his shoulder injury.

Marquez and Ducati were advised against an early return by doctors following further tests on his right shoulder injury in Madrid.

The decision means the reigning World Champion will miss the final three rounds of the season, as well as the post-season Valencia test.

“Analysing the entire situation, we believe that the most appropriate, clever and consistent course of action is to respect the biological timing of the injury, even if that means I will no longer be able to race this season or attend the testing session,” Marquez said via Instagram.

“We know that a difficult winter awaits us, with a lot of work, to recover my muscles to 100% and be ready for 2026. 

“This must not overshadow or make us forget the great goal we achieved this year: becoming world champions again, and soon we will all celebrate it together. 

“Thank you to all the fans for kind messages, to Ducati and all the sponsors for their support and understanding.”

Marquez suffered ligament damage and a right shoulder fracture after a first-lap crash with Marco Bezzecchi at Mandalika. 

The World Champion elected to have surgery after the injury was “not showing sufficient signs of stabilisation after a week of being immobilised,” according to his video.

“Since we learned about the injury diagnosis, we knew the chances of having Marc in Valencia for the grand prix and the test were very low,” said Dall’Igna.

“It’s a shame because it’s very important for us to have him on track, but we know perfectly that the priority is to recover and return 100% fit for the next season.

“We fully support the decision and are convinced that not taking further risks is the best choice for everyone. We wish him a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back with us soon”.

- Eden Hannigan

ANOTHER PAINFUL MARQUEZ FAA

A second painful fall of the day for Marc Marquez rounded off a twice red-flagged and incredibly crash-strewn second Assen MotoGP practice session.

Marquez had recovered from an initial fall to go fastest in the morning, and then while on a potential session-topping afternoon lap he lost his Ducati's front end going into the fast Ruskenhoek left-hander and slid at high speed across the gravel.

This is what happened at Turn 7! @marcmarquez93 😱#DutchGP 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/XAAl1uxwko

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 27, 2025

He initially stood up before immediately crouching back down in the gravel trap, seemingly in pain in his groin area, and needing assistance away from the scene - though he was walking unaided, if somewhat gingerly, when he got back to the Ducati pit. From there he headed to the medical centre for a check-up.

Advancing to Q2: Quartararo, A Marquez, Acosta, Bezzecchi, Bagnaia, M Marquez, Di Giannantonio, Vinales, Morbidelli, Zarco

Will contest Q1: Fernandez, Aldeguer, Rins, Oliveira, Bastianini, Miller, Mir, Binder, Savadori, Ogura, Chantra, Espargaro

That was one of nine high-speed crashes during the session, as rider after rider appeared to misjudge the grip available from the front tyre in particular.

Six of the crashes happened in the first seven minutes of the session.

Alex Marquez started the run of falls and was quickly followed by Gresini Ducati team-mate Fermin Aldeguer, LCR Honda's Johann Zarco, VR46 Ducati's Franco Morbidelli, Tech3 KTM rider Enea Bastianini and Honda's stand-in rider Aleix Espargaro.

The Aldeguer, Zarco and Morbidelli shunts happened virtually simultaneously, all at different parts of the track, with Morbidelli's the most destructive as his Ducati tumbled end over end across the grass without him.

None of those caused a red flag, but Ai Ogura and Lorenzo Savadori's later crashes both did.

Ogura had a ferocious highside into the Duikersloot right-hander in which his Trackhouse Aprilia burst into flames as it bounced across the asphalt. Savadori's Stekkenwal shunt ended with his wrecked Aprilia sat in the middle of the circuit. Both riders appeared unhurt.

Between stoppages and yellow flags, Fabio Quartararo popped in with the fastest time at the end of a session in which all five manufacturers got a bike directly into Q2.

Quartararo's 1m31.156s for Yamaha was 0.102s clear of Alex Marquez, with Pedro Acosta jumping to third for KTM late on and Assen specialist Marco Bezzecchi's Aprilia fastest for a spell before ending up fourth.

Marc Marquez held on for sixth despite his fall, just behind Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, Maverick Vinales, Morbidelli and Zarco completed the automatic Q2 pack.

Raul Fernandez was bumped down to 11th in the final seconds, while Alex Rins looked like he might get his Yamaha straight through to Q2 via a massive tow from Bagnaia before being edged down the order.

- Matt Beer

'I GAVE IT EVERYTHING' - MARC MARQUEZ REACTS TO HIS 93RD GRAND PRIX VICTORY

Marc Marquez was able to do the double for the factory Ducati team at the Italian Grand Prix and claimed his 93rd Grand Prix victory.

Victory at the Italian Grand Prix marked Marc Marquez's fifth win of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, but also his 93rd win of his Grand Prix career.

The Spaniard was able to do the double in his first Italian Grand Prix as a factory Ducati rider, as he controlled the Sprint Race on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday.

At the start of the Italian Grand Prix, Marquez was locked in a battle with his teammate Francesco Bagnaia, but after the fuel load went down, the eight-time World Champion was able to break the field.

"It is an amazing feeling," Marquez said after winning the Italian Grand Prix.

"To wear the red colour, although today was not the Ducati red, at a Ducati track, it was Ducati's day.

"To have three Ducatis on the podium, and to win here with the Ducati colours. I understood this morning that this weekend is super special for them, and for me, because I am a part of them.

"I am super happy, I managed the race at the beginning, Pecco and Alex know that with a full fuel tank, I am struggling so they attacked me.

"I was patient, I was calm, so when the tyres dropped a bit, I gave it everything. I am happy to take 37 points from this amazing weekend."

Marquez now holds a 40-point lead in the 2025 MotoGP World Championship over his younger brother, Alex Marquez.

- Luke Newman

MARC MARQUEZ IDENTIFIES SURPRISE NAME AS HIS MAIN MOTOGP TITLE OPPONENT

Marc Marquez identified a surprise name he believes is his main MotoGP title opponent for the 2025 season.

Marquez completed back-to-back grand slams in Argentina, claiming pole before winning the Sprint and Grand Prix.

The Spaniard extended his lead at the top of the championship, equalling Angel Nieto’s record of 90 total wins.

He defeated his younger brother Alex Marquez by less than a second in the Sprint, before winning the race by 1.3s despite following him for most of the race after making an unforced error.

The Marquez brothers once again featured on the top two steps of the podium, before Marc stated post-race that he believes his younger brother is his main opponent for the championship.

“But Alex today I’m very impressed about his riding style. He was super smooth,” said Marquez to Crash.net.

“And I know when he is super convinced he is able to win a world championship, like he did in Moto3, in Moto2.

“So, at the end he is the main opponent for the championship.”

Marc Marquez took a ‘lot of risks’ to win the race

Despite leading for the first three laps Marquez ran wide at Turn 1 on Lap 4, which allowed his brother to take the lead.

The older brother prevailed in the end following an overtake on Lap 21, before clearing off into the distance to establish a 1.3s advantage.

The factory Ducati rider continued to heap praise on his brother’s performance, stating he rode “super smooth.”

The Spaniard admitted that to win the race he had to take more risks, which explained the incidents in which he experienced a few wobbles aboard his Desmosedici.

“Today I’m impressed about my brother, about Alex,” he added.

“In one part of the race I was thinking to finish second because he was riding super smooth, super good, always keeping the corner speed.

“I mean his tyre was not smoking. I said ‘ok, this guy today has another level’.

“Then in the end I survived. I took a risk, as you saw, I took a lot of risks – maybe too much in some points of the race.”

- Henry Cheal

DUCATI DOMINATES THAI MOTIGP WITH MARC MARQUEZ LEADING A PODIUM SWEEP

Apr 12, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Enea Bastianini (23) of Italy and Ducati Lenovo Team during practice for the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Ducati asserted its dominance at the 2025 Thai MotoGP with a commanding performance led by Marc Marquez, who completed a flawless weekend by securing pole position, the sprint race victory, and his first grand prix win as a factory Ducati rider. His brother Alex Marquez and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia completed an all-Ducati podium in the same order, mirroring Saturday’s sprint results.

Marc led the race until Lap 7, when he was overtaken by Alex on Gresini's GP24 machine. However, Marc regained the lead on Lap 23 and created a considerable gap of 1.732 seconds. Although it initially seemed like a mechanical issue had slowed Marc, he quickly regained pace, settling in behind his brother, which appeared to be a strategic move to manage tire pressures. As the race neared its conclusion, Alex struggled with rear grip on the GP24, offering Marc the perfect opportunity to secure victory.

Alex kicked off his 2025 season on a high note with back-to-back runner-up finishes for Gresini at Buriram, while Bagnaia closed the gap mid-race but ultimately settled for third, finishing 0.666s behind. Franco Morbidelli secured fourth for VR46 Ducati, falling three seconds behind the podium battle after briefly challenging Bagnaia for third.

Trackhouse Racing rookie Ai Ogura finished fifth ahead of factory Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, who trailed by over seven seconds in sixth. Johann Zarco was on the top Honda in seventh, followed by KTM’s Brad Binder, Tech3’s Enea Bastianini, and VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio completing the top ten at the Thai MotoGP.

Marc has been regarded as the favorite for the 2025 season after earning his factory Ducati promotion following a strong campaign with Gresini last year. Paired with Bagnaia, the two multi-time world champions have been identified by TNT Sports MotoGP presenter Neil Hodgson as key contenders set to push each other in the fight for the title. Motorsports On SI reported:

“I think they’re both so talented.

“Obviously Marc’s [Marquez] got more world titles, but I feel like Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] is still improving, still learning, and he’s an absolute machine.

“You write Pecco Bagnaia off at your peril, don’t you? Quite often on a race weekend, he’ll have a really average Friday, even an average Saturday, and he’ll bounce back and win the Grand Prix on Sunday.

“So, I can see it going on and on.

“I think both riders will push each other extremely hard, obviously they share the data so they can copy each other’s homework. So, I think they’ll both push each other.

“I think we’re going to have a season very similar to last year, where you’ve got two riders pushing each other.

“There’ll be lots of mistakes as well, I think there’ll be crashes, I think there’ll be collisions between them, I do, I really do, which is probably not a big statement because we’ve seen it in the past.”

- Saajan Jogia

DUCATI FACING '50/50' DILEMA ON KEY TWO-YEAR MOTOGP DECISION

Ducati faces a major question mark about its MotoGP engine, with factory riders Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez undecided on which spec is more favourable.

Both Bagnaia and Marquez had crashes during the second day of the Sepang test - Bagnaia's a slow one at the final corner, Marquez's a more violent one (but also with no major repercussions) at the Turn 9 left-hander - but the bigger takeaway from their day was work comparing the available engine specs. These, in effect, are the newer 'GP25' version of the engine and the older 'GP24' unit.

The two riders say they are very aligned in their feedback - Bagnaia described this as being "incredible" and something he had never had to this extent with any other team-mate - but this has not yet given them a conclusive answer.

It is doubly complicated for Marquez, who is new to both engines as he campaigned an older-spec Ducati last year.

And it is a decision that, even more than any other year, cannot be taken lightly by Ducati because not only will it have to spend the full season with the chosen engine spec under the current homologation rules, but the 2026 engine freeze before a switch to new regulations in 2027 effectively makes it a two-year decision.

This isn't the case for the likes of Yamaha and Honda, MotoGP's 'Rank D' manufacturers and thus not bound by the freeze, but the idea of Ducati coming anywhere near 'Rank D' right now is a mathematical absurdity, so whichever engine spec will be raced in the Thailand season opener will be used for the next 40-plus rounds, too.

"We need to be super sure which is the direction," Marquez told MotoGP.com.

"We know that the '24 package is competitive. We need to be super sure - we need to see a clear positive aspect in the '25 - because when you homologate the engine it will be for two years. We need to understand well."

The engine is not the only aspect of the bike being worked on and evaluated - there's also a chassis and a new aero fairing that has earned a good review from Bagnaia, albeit with the caveat that he would like to see a 'hybrid' version combining the elements from this one and last year's version.

But both riders have made it clear that the engine is the most important part and the utmost priority given just four days of testing remain.

The pros and cons

"The power delivery is continuing to give a lot of great things to us," said Bagnaia of the 2025-spec engine. "It's very smooth, and we like that a lot. It's the first time that a new engine is that smooth in terms of acceleration, and that's great.

"But even if we have closed a bit the gap in terms of braking, it's still a bit far from the GP24. For tomorrow we have to close that gap, and try to understand in which way to do it."

Bagnaia went as far as to assess the decision as being "at the moment 50/50".

"Because the thing is... the GP24 is a fantastic base. And we all think that it still has some margin.

"The GP25 is already very fast and very good on the straight and acceleration - you can only do a top speed if the bike is exiting well from the corners, and this is the case, it's very smooth and you can manage a lot with the throttle and the acceleration.

"But in braking the GP24 was out of this world. We were doing something incredible on braking. And this is something difficult to reach at the moment with the '25 even if we close the gap."

On headline times, the GP24s have been a clear step ahead of the newer Ducatis so far at Sepang - but this isn't necessarily reflective of the actual performance levels.

However, according to Bagnaia, the braking performance where the 2024 engine excels is just more of a differentiator than the ride-height-device-aided acceleration, at least at Sepang.

"In this moment what we are gaining on acceleration is a bit less compared to what we are losing on braking."

- Valentin Khorounzhiy

FRANCESCO BAGNAIA HAILS MALAYSIAN MOTOGP POLE AFTER 'INCREDIBLE' JORGE MARTIN BATTLE

“It’s incredible what we did today”

Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, qualifying, 2024 Malaysian MotoGP

MotoGP title rivals Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin spectacularly slugged it out for pole position at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Both smashed the Sepang lap record as they surged almost one second clear of the field.

Martin landed what looked like a knockout blow with a new official lap record on his first run, pitting with a half-second advantage over Bagnaia.

But with the pressure on, practice leader Bagnaia responded magnificently on his final run, beating Martin's record time by 0.216s!

Delight in the factory Ducati pits was matched by shock in the Pramac garage, but Martin rolled up his sleeves and was equal to Bagnaia through the opening sectors…

However, the title leader was forced to lift his GP24 when the front slid away at Turn 14, ending an epic pole contest.

“It’s incredible what we did today because already the lap time of Jorge was incredible,” said Bagnaia, before underlining the psychological importance of defeating Martin in qualifying.

“Being able to drop this lap time was also super important for the mental side because I know how difficult it is when you are doing your maximum and your opponent is faster.

“So it was very important and I’m very proud of my team because we did a very good again. Super happy.”

Martin, who starts this afternoon’s Sprint race 17 points ahead of Bagnaia, admitted: 

“For sure I thought [my first lap] was enough, but Pecco was incredible today.

“It is what it is. I tried my best. I think the first row was the target so I’m happy.

“The race will be tough, both of us have a really good pace so it will be important to understand where to be stronger.”

Martin can wrap up the title one round early if he holds a 38-point lead on Sunday evening.

A maximum of 12 points are available in the Sprint and 25 in the Grand Prix this weekend.

Meanwhile, Alex Marquez was a commendable, if distant, third on the grid.

“I closed my eyes and pushed in every corner at the limit!” he smiled. “I tried my best and I love this place. We made a really good lap, also in FP2 we were not bad for race pace.”

The Gresini rider paid tribute to the ‘magnificent’ performance of the duo ahead as he ruled out repeating last year’s Sprint victory.

“Looking forward to the race but we are not like last year, we don’t have the chance to win because these two are super magnificent," Marquez said.

“When you are fighting for the title you have like another step more [mentally]. So congrats to Pecco and Martin.

“But we are happy to be here after some difficult races.”

Martin’s team-mate Franco Morbidelli, Alex’s team-mate Marc Marquez and Bagnaia’s team-mate Enea Bastianini (who fell) will form row two of the grid.

KTM's Jack Miller was the top non-Ducati rider in seventh followed by the Yamahas of Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins, who are enjoying their most competitive team performance of the season.

Brad Binder (KTM), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) completed the Qualifying 2 riders.

Zarco turned heads by leaping to the top of Qualifying 1 on his final lap, pushing Pedro Acosta out of Qualifying 2 in the process.

Meanwhile, Andrea Iannone enjoyed the best session of his MotoGP comeback with 17th on the grid.

"It wasn't an easy qualifying, but I'm happy," Iannone said. "On a physical level, with the heat, the humidity and considering how these bikes are physical in braking, it's complicated but I’m having fun. 

"It's a shame we had so little time, because we have the potential to be competitive, we're only 0.8 from the first GP23. 

"It will be my first time in the Sprint, I will have to understand how to manage myself, I don't know exactly what to expect, especially in the slipstream with all these wings."

- Peter McLaren

DUCATI LENOVO TEAM | 2024 MOTOGP TEAMS' CHAMPIONS

 

DUCATI 'GOING TO HAVE AN ADVANTAGE ' IN MOTOGP 2027 RULES - CASEY STONER

 “That gap, to them, is going to be even larger than it is now.”

Casey Stoner, 2023 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.

The 2027 MotoGP rules are largely hoped to address to some extent some of the perceived problems that the championship currently faces, but Casey Stoner is decidedly pessimistic.

Stoner, who won Ducati’s first MotoGP title in 2007, thinks the Italian manufacturer will continue to be at a performance advantage under the new regulations.

“I think it’s Ducati, basically, trying to get those rules implemented again,” Stoner said when speaking to Neil Hodgson on the Ducati Diaries podcast.

“I think they know that they’re going to have an advantage in that situation. If you think about it, if you’ve already got a lot of power — everyone’s got a lot of power now, and yet they’ve [Ducati] still got an outstanding difference — the gap’s going to be bigger when you go to a smaller [displacement] engine.

“That gap, to them, is going to be even larger than it is now.”

The potential for continued domination by Ducati, which has won 10 of the first 11 races in 2024, is not the only cause for Stoner’s concern.

“The braking [zones] are going to shrink, when the braking [zones] shrink there’s less overtaking opportunities,” he said.

Additionally, “Corner speed might pick up, which allows for less overtaking again because it’s not like 125s, 250s, Moto3, it’s not like that; there’s still enough power to separate everyone [under acceleration], but everything’s going to shrink now in terms of overtaking opportunities, in my opinion.

“They’ve done some of the right things with some of the stuff that’s being removed (such as ride height devices), but the rest of it isn’t even close to what it needs to be.”

Stoner’s fundamental concern with the 2027 MotoGP regulations is that they don’t address what he sees as a core issue in the current rules, which is that the technology is becoming too advanced.

“I still feel like they’re Formula 1 cars with two wheels,” the two-times MotoGP World Champion said. “We’ve got traction control, wheelie control and everything that Formula 1 doesn’t have.

“I understand that bikes need to go forwards technically to a certain degree, but there’s a point that it has to stop.”

The advancement of technology means that it’s harder for riders to showcase their talent, in Stoner’s opinion.

“I want to see these riders’ talent. I want to watch a slow-mo’ and instead of winglets flexing I actually want to see these guys sliding, controlling a wheelie, finding grip where there’s no grip. That’s what these things are about, and the challenge.”

In Stoner’s opinion, the bikes should become more difficult to ride, not easier.

“People complain all the time in motocross that the 450s are too powerful, they complain about these MotoGP bikes are too powerful, they’re too big,” he said. “[But] it’s the point, you have to learn to control that power.

“They’re talking about these electric bikes, ‘they’re so much easier to ride’ — then count me out. I don’t want something that’s easy to ride, I want something that’s hard to ride. When that grip level disappears, when it’s harder to ride is when you need to start watching what people are capable of.

“Right now, we’re not watching a championship that’s showcasing talent, we’re watching a championship where the engineers are trying to take riders out of the equation. They want to get to the point where they can stick just about any rider on and they’re going to be somewhat competitive.

“Essentially, it ends up like Formula One where it depends what car you’re in, rather than the actual talent of the driver, or [in the case of MotoGP] the rider. It’s very hard for me to sit back and watch because I’ve seen this happening.

“I would like to see the best riders in the world riding the toughest bikes, not because they’re easy to ride. I don’t want them easier to ride; if anything, harder, and you’ve got to try and make the best of it.”

From Stoner’s perspective, the inability of the riders to make a difference with their talent means the quality of the racing suffers.

Stoner compared the racing in current MotoGP to that seen in AMA Supercross, where contact is a fundamental part of racing on tight stadium tracks with limited line choice.

“We’re starting to see [that kind of racing] now in MotoGP,” Stoner said. “People are just seeing a gap and taking it.

“It goes down to something that, for me, is an incredibly immature way of thinking, which is to win at all costs.

“I hate that way of thinking. I mean, if you stop and actually think about what you’re saying, or what somebody is willing to do, it’s the lowest of low in my opinion: basically saying ‘I’m not good enough to win, so I will take whatever road I need to to get it done’.”

Stoner did concede that occasional contact is a part of racing, but said “when you’re going in there with intent to either take someone out or without even worrying that you are going to hit someone just because you want that piece of track — for me, that’s a thoughtless way of racing.

“It’s not actually being intelligent; number one for championships, number two [because] you can also bring yourself down, which we see a lot of those guys do in [AMA] Supercross.

“But it’s starting to happen in MotoGP and, unfortunately, a lot of the MotoGP ones are happening because of the bikes, and all the problems that we’re seeing with all of the aero and winglets, and the only way they can actually make an overtake is to risk it all on the brakes.”

- Alex Whitworth

MARTIN WINS DRAMATIC HOME SPANISH GP SPRINT

Reuters 

 Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing won sprint in front of adoring home fans at a crash-filled Spanish GP to extend his lead at the top of the championship, as reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia's Saturday went from bad to worse after a crash.

Spanish 19-year-old rookie Pedro Acosta continued his stunning debut season with Red Bull GasGas Tech3 to secure a second-place finish, with Yamaha' Fabio Quartararo also capitalizing on crashes to grab points to come third.

"Hopefully we can enjoy today because winning here in Jerez is amazing, and I'm really, really happy," Martin said.

Quartararo put on a gritty performance at the Circuito de Jerez, which witnessed as many as nine crashes, to finish third after starting 23rd on the grid.

"The track was really tricky, of course, many crashes in the front, but I managed to get the first podium of the year on the sprint," Quartararo said.

"Thanks to all the fans to be here and hopefully tomorrow we can make a great race, at least to enjoy like today."

Brad Binder of KTM got off to a flying start as he passed pole-sitter and six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez but was involved in a crash on turn one, resulting in Bagnaia and VR46 Racing's Marco Bezzecchi crashing out.

Ducati's Bagnaia had finished seventh in qualifying earlier on Saturday.

It was all heartbreak for home hero Marquez, who looked on course to win his first sprint but crashed out of the lead, managing to come seventh.

MOTOGP LEADER MARTIN CASTS DOUBT OVER PRAMAC FUTURE

Reuters 

 MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin said that he could leave Pramac Racing and that he is more attached to manufacturer Ducati than the team.

Martin, who finished second last year after an intense battle with eventual champion Francesco Bagnaia, is top of the rider's standings with 60 points following his win at last month's Portuguese Grand Prix.

A move away from Pramac for the Spanish rider would deal a huge blow to the Italian team, who are reportedly eyeing a change from Ducati to Yamaha machines in 2025.

Asked if he would be happy staying at Pramac in the event of a switch to Yamaha's YZR-M1 bikes, Martin told reporters: "Well, at the moment I am more attached to Ducati than with Pramac.

"It has been like this for all my MotoGP career. Everybody knows what my priority is," added Martin, speaking ahead of this weekend's Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

"Let's wait because it is still early but I hope to move to a factory team. Even if Pramac changes, I think, I won't stay here."

- Reuters