Marquez's Mandalika Nightmare: Title Glory Fades into Sprint and Main Race Struggles
Source: Twitter
Marc Marquez No. 93 arrived at the 2025 Mandalika Grand Prix basking in the glow of his eighth MotoGP world championship, secured with a commanding performance at Motegi. Getting the title crown in Motegi GP 2025 was a good decision for Marquez 93, as the Japanese circuit’s sweeping corners perfectly suited his daring, aggressive riding style, outpacing rivals and igniting celebrations among his global fanbase. Expectations soared for another showcase of brilliance in Indonesia, but Mandalika had other plans.
The tropical circuit, notorious for its punishing layout, was set to test the newly crowned champion’s mettle in ways few could have predicted, turning his victory lap into a weekend of setbacks and survival.The Saturday Sprint race laid bare the challenges of a track that has never bowed to Marquez’s brilliance. Mandalika is not a friendly circuit to Marquez 93, its abrasive surface and tight, technical turns clashing with his high-risk cornering, as seen in his past struggles and crashes here.
Starting from a lackluster ninth after a tricky qualifying, Marquez’s Sprint unraveled early when a misjudged move at Turn 10 led to contact with Yamaha’s Alex Rins, earning him a long-lap penalty. Fighting back to seventh by the flag, he was later promoted to sixth with nine points after Honda’s Luca Marini was penalized for tire pressure issues. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi stole the show, snatching victory with a daring last-lap pass on Gresini rookie Fermin Aldeguer, while Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez claimed third.
The result hinted at the weekend’s bigger shock: No Ducati GP25 in the top 5 starters in Mandalika, with the factory Ducati squad, including Francesco Bagnaia, struggling to adapt the 2025-spec bike to the circuit’s demands, leaving the front row to Bezzecchi (Aprilia), Aldeguer (Gresini, 2024-spec Ducati), and Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia).Sunday’s main race escalated Marquez’s Mandalika nightmare into a full-blown catastrophe.
The grid, still devoid of Ducati’s GP25 machines in the top five, set the stage for an unpredictable 27-lap battle.
Source: Twitter
Marquez, starting ninth again, faced an immediate disaster on Lap 1. As the pack funneled into Turn 1, Bezzecchi hit him hard from the back, a reckless move that sent Marquez’s bike careening off the track before the lap was even completed, forcing a devastating DNF due to a wrist injury sustained in the crash.
The incident not only ended his race but highlighted the chaos of a weekend where Ducati’s factory GP25 bikes continued to falter, with Bagnaia languishing in 14th in the Sprint and barely cracking the top 10 on Sunday. Meanwhile, Fermin Aldeguer capitalized on the mayhem, taking his maiden MotoGP win for Gresini after Bezzecchi, the pre-race favorite, crashed out from the lead later in the race. KTM’s Pedro Acosta and Gresini’s Alex Marquez battled fiercely to complete the podium in second and third.As Marquez limps away from Mandalika, nursing both his wrist and his pride, the weekend serves as a stark reminder that even champions are not immune to the sport’s brutality.
Bezzecchi’s costly collision and the unexpected struggles of Ducati’s GP25 machines have reshaped the narrative, thrusting young talents like Aldeguer into the spotlight while exposing vulnerabilities in the field. For No. 93, Mandalika was more than unfriendly—it was a cruel twist that halted his championship celebrations. With the season’s final races looming, Marquez’s focus turns to recovery and redemption, determined to prove that this DNF was merely a stumble on his path to MotoGP immortality.
Imagine if mm93 listened to the commentaries to seal the title in Mandalika, given he has a big fan base in Indonesia. I am pretty sure he will still be the 2025 World Champion, but in a bitter way.
So, choosing Motegi was the correct decision, the faster the better for factory Ducati, he step on podium with a Honda Rider alongside him, got his former team to greet him and rewinding some nostalgic moments from the past.
