Mark Marquez’s perfect 2025 victory streak ended suddenly with a big moment during the dramatic opening lap of the Kota Motogpu Sprint Race.
Starting from pole position, the factory Ducati riders were immediately attacked, with teammate Francesco Bagnaia being released from sixth to first turn.
Marquez responded quickly and reduced the exit, but only Bagnaia fought back in turn 3.
The Spaniard regained control, but as he tried to clear the fast right-hander, his Desmosedis slid hard to the side, launching him into an almost huge high side.
“I felt like the slide wouldn’t stop!”
“It was a tricky first rap,” Marquez told Motogp.com. “Pecco attacked me in the first corner, then I came back to turn 3 and then I had the pace so I tried to open the gap – but I had that big moment in the long right corner.
“I started opening the gas, then I started sliding, sliding, sliding, and sliding, and it didn’t seem to stop!
“I said, ‘OK, I’m going to lose…’ but I managed to control it in a good way. ”
Mark Marques Reed, 2025 Americas Motogp Sprint
The incident allowed Bagnaia and Alex Marquez to pass, but Mark was instantly reorganized and forced his hopes for victory by taking the lead again.
“The most important thing for me is that I was already able to attack the next corner and go back to leading the race,” he said.
“Then on the next lap, I rode in a smoother way. I had already opened the gap, but from that point on I tried to control it.
“The plan was to lead the race from the start and open up a 1-second gap and control, meaning it doesn’t matter if you win in 30 or 3 seconds.
“So when there was a one-second gap, I was just trying to control it and it was over.”
Marquez’s 20m race win was slower than Maverick Viñales’ 2023 sprint victory (20m 27.825S).
Also, Gresini’s runner-up at GP23 last year, was slightly faster than his own 20m 30.119 seconds, but partial tracks resurfaced to remove the remaining bumps.
“The truck has changed, it was warm,” explained Marquez. “(1 lap) warning gave me the opportunity to understand the conditions of the track. And when I opened up a small gap, it was enough to control the race. ”
Marquez crossed the line 0.9 seconds ahead of his brother Alex and won five wins as a factory Ducati rider, with Bagnaia 1.9 seconds behind on the podium.
The Spaniards aim to continue their victory with the eighth Kotagurambrian victory on Sunday, when the transition from soft to medium rear tires to medium rear tires could disrupt orders.
“Tomorrow we need to be in the medium and understand where we are and where others are,” Marquez said. “I also look forward to a strong Pecco. I saw him not at a bad pace at the end of the sprint.”
Mark led Alex to the race on Sunday with a 19-point lead, with Bagnaia 36 points behind in the early title chase.