The #93 was once again the rider to beat on Saturday afternoon but that doesn’t tell the story of an epic start to racing action in Italy.
Mugello always delivers the goods and 2025’s Tissot Sprint was no different as racing fired up on Saturday afternoon. Having secured a 100th career pole, Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) was primed to stamp his authority on Italian soil and that’s exactly what he did – even if he did it a harder way than he’d have preferred. Coming in behind him, Álex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was second whilst Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took third after leading on the opening lap.
EARLY PROBLEMS: the #93 goes backwards
There was drama before the lights even went out for polesitter Márquez, who seemed to be distracted by something as the Sprint got underway, costing him places on the run down to San Donato. The holeshot was grabbed by Bagnaia, whilst Álex was now into second.
Further back, all kinds of drama as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) fell after contact with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), leaving Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) nowhere to go as both fell. The incident was initially investigated but no further action was taken. There was another faller at the end of the first lap with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashing at Turn 15 before he completed the first lap.
BATTLE COMMENCES: three titans put on a show
Lap 2 was a real corker as Marc, now already back into P3, was alongside brother Álex and teammate Pecco into Turn 1, three abreast as they fought for the lead. The #93 initially hit the front but ran himself and his brother Álex wide as Mugello specialist Bagnaia had the inside for the exit. Getting their elbows out, the #63 and #73 went head-to-head into Turn 2, with the Gresini Racing Ducati coming out on top. Pecco was pushed back further at Turn 4 with Marc coming by, re-asserting his authority in the factory colours.
Elsewhere, there was a big battle for fifth place as both Di Giannantonio and teammate Franco Morbidelli duked it out with themselves and also a fading Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Quartararo began dropping back further when Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) came through.
MOVE FOR VICTORY: Marc gets ahead of Álex
On Lap 4, the #93 made his move to lead ahead of his brother, both now a second clear of Pecco in third but it wasn’t all done as both initially seemed to latch back on to the #93. However, with just 4 laps to go, it was looking like a battle for P1 as Álex homed in on Marc and then another for P3, as Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) began to close down double Champion Bagnaia. The gap was just three tenths going into the penultimate lap but in the end, it was to remain the same. Further back and Quartararo’s challenging Sprint was made worse as Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) came through to steal the last point.
At the front, Marc Márquez converted his 100th GP pole to strike in his teammate’s backyard. Another Márquez 1-2 with Álex in second whilst Bagnaia’s run of wins at Mugello draws to a close. Viñales showed great pace but couldn’t quite snatch a podium in the closing stages but a solid fourth will give him encouragement for tomorrow, whereas Di Giannantonio was fifth.
Bezzecchi didn’t have the easiest of races as first lap contact with Pedro Acosta saw him with wing damage, but still, a hearty performance brought him home in sixth. Morbidelli had to settle for seventh ahead of Fernandez who bagged his first Sprint points of the season, ahead of Aldeguer, edging out Quartararo for the final point.
Marc Márquez does the double on Saturday at Mugello, can Álex, Pecco or maybe some like Viñales stop the #93 from clinching a famous double win? We'll find out at 14:00 local time tomorrow. You can find full Sprint results HERE!
Moreira collects second consecutive Moto2™ pole despite Q2 drama
For the second consecutive Grand Prix, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) will launch the Moto2 race from pole position after the Brazilian beat Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) on Saturday afternoon thanks to a 1:49.745. Meanwhile, Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) starts on the front row for the first time this season in P3.
In a dramatic Q2 that saw Practice pacesetter Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crash in the closing stages amongst a busy and slow-moving Moto2 pack, Moreira’s Kalex-Triumph machine was clipped by the stricken Boscoscuro bike which put an end to his session. However, it didn’t cost the #10 pole, as Canet’s cancelled lap gets reinstated after the session to see Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) pushed back to P4.
Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) looked on to begin the Grand Prix from P5, but there was some later drama for the #18 - a three-place penalty for being slow on the line in the final few minutes of Q2. That puts Q1 graduate and Aragon GP winner Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) into P5 and makes Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) the lead home hero in P6.
Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) is to start from seventh despite a highside with a few minutes remaining. He headed to the medical centre for a check-up after the session and was given the all-ok. Then it's Gonzalez ahead of Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO European Privilege Aspar Team) and Tony Arbolino (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) completing the top ten, nudging out Holgado's teammate David Alonso.
For full results, click HERE – and tune in for more Moto2 on Sunday!
Carpe takes maiden pole in style at Mugello
He left it late but he did it in style: Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) takes his first Moto3™ pole at Mugello, and the #83 rookie even charged round the outside of a fellow frontrunner on his rush for glory. Carpe’s 1:54.733 puts him a couple of tenths ahead of teammate and Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda, with Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) taking third to continue his impressive form this weekend at Mugello.
Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Aspar Team), despite a late crash, 2021 winner Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Aspar Team), Aragon winner David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and Vicente Perez (GRYD MLav Racing Team) made it through from Q1 into the pole shootout, but Quiles had to be patient to get back out as work continued on his machine into the start of Q2.
After the opening half of the session was done, it was fellow rookie Carpe who had set the best lap time on the first runs, whilst Quiles lost his first lap due to exceeding track limits and was yet to set a time going into the final five minutes.
As the clock ticked down, the track came alive with red sectors. Championship leader Rueda had gone top ahead of Ogden but leaving it late, rookie sensation Carpe stole the show with pole position ahead of his teammate, his first pole in the class after charging through all in his way. Odgen, having been fastest in FP2’s morning session, was third for a first front row since Silverstone in 2023. Angel Piqueras (FRINSA MT Helmets – MSI) – the victim of Carpe’s round-the-outside charge – secured fourth, whilst Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Ajo) equalled his best Moto3 qualifying with fifth.
Completing the second row of the grid will be Aragon winner David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), with Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Ajo) denied his best qualifying result of the season after getting a back of the grid penalty for being slow on the line after posting his personal best.
Quiles’ eventful qualifying day therefore results in P7 ahead of Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) and David Almansa (Leopard Racing) on Row 3. Big names to watch out for further down field include Almansa’s teammate Adrian Fernandez in P13, 2021 winner Foggia in P15 and Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) in 16th after mechanical issues kept the Japanese rider out of the final moments.
Find full qualifying results HERE and tune in for the Moto3 showdown at Mugello!