HARD STOP

Marc Marquez's flawless Ducati debut comes to a halt at COTA, while Bagnaia picks up the pieces to take his first win of 2025.

- WORDS SHIVANK BHATT

Up until COTA, the 2025 MotoGP season had been a one-man show - and that man was Marc Marquez. The eight-time world champion dominated the opening two rounds, sweeping everything from pole positions to sprint wins to Sunday grand prix victories. It was total domination.

Heading into the third round at COTA, it looked like the story would remain the same. After all, this is a circuit where Marquez has historically been unstoppable. And this year, with him aboard a Ducati, arguably the best bike on the grid, it seemed like this would be a cakewalk for him. On Saturday, everything followed the script, as Marquez clinched pole and then further asserted his dominance by winning the COTA sprint. But come Sunday, the tables turned, and how!