MotoGP: Marc Marquez extends dominance with sprint race victory at Spanish GP
Jerez de la Frontera: Marc Marquez continued his dream run in the 2025 MotoGP season, securing a fifth consecutive half-distance victory with a commanding performance at the Sprint Race in Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday.
Racing in front of a raucous home crowd at Jerez, the Ducati star shrugged off an early challenge from Yamaha's surprise polesitter Fabio Quartararo to extend his lead in the championship standings.
The atmosphere was electric as Quartararo, who stunned the paddock with a blistering qualifying lap to deny Marquez a fifth straight pole, lined up alongside the Spaniard. But once the lights went out, it was Marquez who reacted first, surging ahead before Quartararo muscled back into the lead with a bold move at Turn 1.
However, Quartararo's challenge was short-lived. Marquez quickly retaliated, using the Yamaha's slipstream to retake first place at Turn 6. Just moments later, the Frenchman's hopes unraveled spectacularly as he lost control and crashed out on lap two, allowing Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia to move up into podium contention.
From there, it was the Marc Marquez show. Maintaining a relentless pace despite rising track temperatures, the eight-time world champion steadily built a gap to his brother Alex, who finished second for a fifth consecutive sprint race. Bagnaia held firm in third, but neither could touch Marc, who crossed the line with the crowd chanting his name in a moment of pure redemption at the very circuit that nearly ended his MotoGP career back in 2020.
The result sees Marquez stretch his championship lead to 20 points over his brother Alex, with Bagnaia a further 11 points adrift.
Behind the top three, VR46 Racing's Franco Morbidelli delivered a strong ride to finish fourth, ahead of Fermin Aldeguer in fifth. Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out an all-Ducati top six, underlining the Italian manufacturer's dominance in Jerez.
MotoGP: Marc Marquez extends dominance with sprint race victory at Spanish GP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Oscar Piastri says Spanish Grand Prix 2025 win was just what he needed
Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri said winning Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix was just what he needed after losing out to McLaren teammate Lando Norris over the previous two weekends. 'It's been a great year and this weekend's been exactly the kind of weekend I was looking for,' said the Australian after his fifth win in nine races. 'We executed everything we needed to when it counted and that's all you can ask for. The team gave me a great car once again. It's a lot of fun winning races at the moment.' The victory, the seventh of the 24-year-old's career, stretched Piastri's lead over second-placed Norris to 10 points after the Briton reduced it to three with his triumph in Monaco last Sunday. Norris also finished second at Imola, the race before Monaco won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with Piastri third. The Australian led from pole position in Spain, the top slot on the grid secured by the biggest margin of the year so far, after also topping the practice times at the Circuit de Catalunya. 'It's definitely up there,' Piastri said when asked whether it was his strongest yet in Formula One. 'I don't know if it's the best one, but certainly it's been a strong one. You know, it's pretty hard to complain with the results we've had this weekend. ALSO READ | Verstappen punished after ramming into Russell 'Just the effort that's gone in, and analysing some of the things from last week that we could have done better - I think we turned it around very nicely and got back to the form we wanted to be on.' Norris, winner of two races this year so far, said he did not feel he had lost anything. 'I think Oscar drove a very good race today and had a good day yesterday. I had the pace to go with him but not enough to try and catch up and put him under threat,' he said. Related Topics Oscar Piastri
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
French Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz grinds past Ben Shelton to reach last eight
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz won a war of attrition with American 13th seed Ben Shelton to reach the French Open quarterfinals on Sunday. The Spaniard emerged victorious 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 after over three hours of blistering serves, power-hitting and drop-shots on Court Philippe Chatrier. 'I think we both have huge respect to each other, we entertained the people well,' Alcaraz said on court. 'He's a really powerful player -- he can make any shot... I appreciate the moment that I've shared with him today.' The four-time Grand Slam winner edged a tight first set, which produced only one unconverted break point, at the end of a lengthy tie-break that saw both players have chances to clinch the opener. When Alcaraz finally forced a break against the big-serving Shelton in the second set, it was enough for him to move into a two-set lead. ALSO READ | French Open 2025, June 2 schedule: Sinner, Djokovic and Gauff in action in fourth round But once again Alcaraz failed to see out a straight-sets victory as Shelton produced two breaks of serve to edge the most open of the four frames. The 22-year-old nonetheless bounced back to gain the advantage in the fourth set, before serving out as dusk descended over centre court. Another American awaits Alcaraz in the last eight after 12th seed Tommy Paul earlier defeated Alexei Popyrin in straight sets. 'I remember that every match that I've played against him he was really tough. He was really difficult,' said Alcaraz of Paul. 'In Grand Slams, in Masters 1000, and all the tournaments I've played against him it wasn't easy at all. I lost a lot, a few matches against him as well. He is in the quarterfinals of another Grand Slam, so his level is really high right now.' Alcaraz leads his series with Paul 4-2, and most recently defeated the 28-year-old in straight sets on the red dirt of Roland Garros at the quarterfinal stage of the 2024 Olympic Games.
United News of India
8 hours ago
- United News of India
Carlos Alcaraz fends off Shelton, storms into QFs
Paris, June 1 (UNI) Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz came through a stern fourth-round examination at Roland Garros, subduing American Ben Shelton in four gripping sets — 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 — in a contest that stretched just over three hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday night. Alcaraz, the No. 3 seed, was made to work for his place in the quarterfinals, with the explosive Shelton threatening to turn the match on its head after storming back to take the third set. But the Spaniard held firm in the crucial moments of the fourth, breaking decisively to seal a hard-earned victory. Much of the post-match chatter will revolve around the missed opportunities by Shelton in a pulsating opening set. The 21-year-old left-hander had three set points in the tie-break — including a 6-4 lead — but Alcaraz saved them all, showcasing phenomenal defence and trademark flair to clinch it 10-8. The set, described by many as one of the finest passages of play in the tournament so far, featured a point that could well go down as the shot of the event. Shelton did not fade, however. After conceding the second set 3-6, he roared back in the third, converting more chances and keeping the Chatrier fans enthralled with his power-packed groundstrokes and fearless play. But Alcaraz, a two-time Grand Slam champion, regrouped in the fourth, raising his level when it mattered most to keep his title defence on course. He will now face American Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals, a rematch of their Indian Wells semifinal earlier this year. Meanwhile, over on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, fellow American Frances Tiafoe was leading Germany's Daniel Altmaier by a set as he looked to join Shelton's countrymen in the last eight. UNI BDN GNK
