Ducati’s Divided Day: Bagnaia Third, Marc Marquez 12th

Pecco Bagnaia goes Podium, Marc’s Crash & Recovery, Alex’s Breakthrough for first ever motogp win.

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The Ducati Lenovo Team experienced a day of mixed fortunes at the Spanish Grand Prix, with Francesco Bagnaia claiming a hard-fought third place while Marc Marquez salvaged crucial points after an early crash at Jerez’s Circuito de Angel Nieto.

Bagnaia, starting from the front row, engaged in a fierce opening-lap battle with Marc Marquez before settling into third position. Despite showing strong pace, the Italian couldn’t mount a sustained challenge on race winner Alex Marquez or second-placed Fabio Quartararo.

“After the battle with Marc on lap one, I pushed hard to try and catch Fabio (Quartararo), but unfortunately I didn’t have enough to overtake him. From then on, I wasn’t able to be as effective as Alex (Márquez) at turns 11 and 12; I couldn’t make the most of them to get closer. In any case, this is a third place that, with Marc’s crash, allowed me to narrow the gap down to the championship lead. Today I couldn’t fully exploit the bike’s potential, and therefore I’m not fully happy.”

The race proved more dramatic for Marc Marquez, who crashed at Turn 8 on lap three while running third. Demonstrating characteristic resilience, the eight-time world champion remounted from last place to climb twelve positions, setting fastest laps in the process.

“It was a mistake we must learn from if we want to fight for the title. We had great speed, but we still need to fully understand the reason behind the crash, as I wasn’t attacking — I know the second part of the race is my strong point. Unfortunately, this is how it went. The important thing is that we have the pace and we’re only one point away from the top. I’m obviously super happy and proud of Alex for the win, as I knew it was one of his career goals.”

The Jerez results create a tantalising family duel atop the standings with Alex Marquez 89 pts and Marc Marquez 88 pts. 

Ducati maintains its dominance in both team (259 pts) and manufacturer (185 pts) classifications as the paddock prepares for Monday’s crucial Jerez test before the French Grand Prix at Le Mans (May 9-11).

As the championship moves to Le Mans, Ducati’s strength in depth appears formidable, with three different riders having claimed victories in the opening five rounds. The Marquez brothers’ intensifying rivalry promises to be a defining storyline of the 2025 season.