20:10
Race distance now 19 laps.
MotoGP 2025 Americas Grand Prix sprint
© Gold and Goose
2025 Americas MotoGP: Race LIVE!
Lap-by-lap updates from the 2025 MotoGP Americas Grand Prix
The third round of the 2025 MotoGP season takes place at the Americas Grand Prix, with Marc Marquez on pole for the third successive time.
Championship leader Marc Marquez comes into Sunday's 20-lap grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas looking to extend his 100% winning record in 2025, having scored his fifth race victory on Saturday in the sprint.
He has extended his points lead to 19 over Gresini Ducati's Alex Marquez, who maintained his 100% runner-up spot record in the sprint.
Marc Marquez didn't quite dominate the sprint as expected, having been forced into an early battle with his factory Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia before being pressured by Alex Marquez again.
Still favourite to win on Sunday, the challenge from Bagnaia on lap one will be something to be wary of at lights out.
Bagnaia feels like he is getting close to the feeling he has been missing on the GP25 and put in some strong pace in the sprint, even if he had to settle for third. He noted that he needs to find more speed in the early laps in order to properly challenge his team-mate.
He doesn't think that will come on Sunday, but is confident he can battle with Alex Marquez.
Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo put in a stunning charge to sixth having run as high as fourth in the early stages of Saturday's sprint. Though not convinced his pace is good enough to be in the podium hunt on Sunday, the Frenchman will be one to watch in the opening laps.
Honda also enjoyed a strong Saturday, with Luca Marini seventh on the factory RC213V, while Trackhouse Aprilia rookie continued to impress as he went from 18th to ninth in the sprint.
Marc Marquez pegged the KTM's of Pedro Acosta and Maverick Vinales as ones to watch after qualifying inside the top 10. But severe vibration issues proved problematic for the Austrian manufacturer in the sprint.
The 20-lap Americas Grand Prix begins at 8pm BST.
30 Mar 2025
20:10
The quick start procedure is underway.
20:10
Marc Marquez was not sat on his bike when he made that decision, which suggests this was always the plan for him.
20:09
Ultimately, those who ran off the grid didn't break any rules. Have to feel that a change in the regulations will be coming after this episode.
20:07
No word on what will happen with the grid.
20:06
Quick start procedure begins at 2:10pm local time, so four minutes from now.
20:06
You've got to feel for the riders who made the gamble on the slicks. They've had their advantage wiped away.
20:05
Davide Brivio: "I'm very upset, because that's not a way to manage a start. The riders who left the grid left the grid, they made their choice. We took a risk, we took a gamble and now everything is..."
20:03
This will take some time to sort out.
20:03
Maverick Vinales was left in an odd situation where he had no bike on the grid.
20:03
Marc Marquez was the first to go, and the rest decided to follow him back to pitlane.
20:02
The last time this happened in Argentina in 2018, the entire grid was put about four rows back from the only rider who stayed on the grid having gone with slicks, which was Jack Miller.
20:01
There was quite a few riders sat on the grid still. Luca Marini is furious as he was essentially on pole.
This is a Argentina 2018 situation.
20:00
Start delayed
Start has been delayed.
20:00
Numerous riders have switched to their dry bikes.
Marc Marquez, Bagnaia, DiGia, Mir have switched.
19:59
Front row riders have pulled off the grid!
19:58
Five minutes to go.
19:57
The last true flag-to-flag race was Japan 2023, which Jorge Martin won, while last year's San Marino GP saw some - including Martin - attempt a bike swap that didn't pan out.
The winner of the grand prix, by the way, was our poleman today Marc Marquez.
19:56
Ogura has previous for doing this in wet Moto2 races. Brad Binder's last victory came in 2021 when he won on slick tyres on a wet track in Austria.
Let's see if that gamble pays off.
19:55
Tyre choice
Three riders are gambling on slicks. Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini are on medium tyres to begin with, while Ai Ogura is on soft rubber.
The rest are on medium/medium wet tyres.
19:53
Marc Marquez goes from pole and is looking to extend his 100% winning record in 2025, having taken victory in Saturday's sprint.
If he is successful today, it will be his eighth grand prix win at COTA.
19:51
For this wet start, Fermin Aldeguer will be one to watch. He was pretty strong on Friday given his limited experience in the rain on a MotoGP bike. He goes from 12th.
19:50
Quartararo has gone over to Miller and thanks him for his help getting back to the grid.
19:49
Both factory Ducati riders are going with rain tyres for the start, confirms Davide Tardozzi.
19:48
Starting grid
Row 1 - M.Marquez, Di Giannantonio, A.Marquez
Row 2 - Acosta, Morbidelli, Bagnaia
Row 3 - Marini, Mir, Miller
Row 4 - Vinales, Quartararo, Aldeguer
Row 5 - Bezzecchi, Rins, Zarco
Row 6 - Binder, Bastianini, Ogura
Row 7 - R.Fernandez, A.Fernandez, Chantra
Row 8 - Savadori
