Six-time MotoGP world champ continues his supreme 2025 season, becoming first Ducati rider to win five consecutive GPs.
Marc Marquez has won the Czech MotoGP for his eighth victory in 12 races this season and his fifth in a row, extending his commanding lead in the world championship.
The factory Ducati rider beat Marco Bezzecchi on an Aprilia by almost two seconds on Sunday while Pedro Acosta on a KTM came in third in his first podium finish of the season.
Marquez had a fifth straight perfect weekend, winning both the sprint on Saturday and Sunday’s race.
The 32-year-old Spaniard now leads the world championship with 381 points, 120 ahead of his younger brother, Alex, who crashed, and 168 ahead of Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
“It has been a super first part of the season and especially these last races,” Marc Marquez said.
“I feel better and better, and I’m riding super good,” he added.
Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi leads Marc Marquez, #93, in the opening laps of the Czech MotoGP [Michal Cizek/AFP]
Marquez outpaces his rivals
Bagnaia started from pole on a sunny Sunday at Brno but retained the lead only until the second lap when Bezzecchi eased past him, and Marc Marquez followed suit soon afterwards.
Acosta did the same to settle down in third after getting a boost from a third-place finish in Saturday’s sprint.
Marquez glided past Bezzecchi on lap eight as the runaway trio kept building up their lead and, as so often this season, kept widening the gap comfortably.
The three stayed put until the finish line although fourth-placed Bagnaia gave Acosta a hard time, pressing from behind.
“The first lap was unbelievable,” Bezzecchi said.
“I had so much fun in the first half of the race, but unfortunately, when Marc passed me, I immediately saw that he had something more.”
“I tried to attack, but he was strong. Anyway, I made a fantastic performance. I’m very, very happy,” the Italian added.
Reigning world champion Jorge Martin collected his first points after finishing seventh in the first race he has completed this year.
Martin sat out the first three races after two preseason crashes, and when he returned at Qatar in April, he crashed heavily again and missed the next seven events.
Marc Marquez won his fifth race in a row at the Czech MotoGP [Michal Cizek/AFP]
Brno returns faster than ever
Marc Marquez took 40 minutes 04.628 seconds to complete the 21 laps on the resurfaced 5.4km (3.4-mile) Brno circuit, which returned to the MotoGP calendar after a five-year break due to financial woes.
The enhanced on-track results of the Brno resurfacing were evident with lap times this year several seconds under the previous lap record.
Bezzecchi crossed the line 1.753 seconds adrift of Marquez, while Acosta trailed the six-time MotoGP champion by 3.366 seconds.
Almost 220,000 fans were in the stands for the weekend as Marquez recorded his fourth MotoGP win at Brno after victories in 2013, 2017 and 2019.
Alex Marquez retired after crashing on lap two to leave Brno without a point after a disappointing 17th spot in the sprint race.
He took out Joan Mir, who also walked away from the gravel safety area, just like Enea Bastianini a lap later.
Japan’s Takaaki Nakagami was ruled out of the race after suffering a knee injury in a crash in Saturday’s sprint.
The MotoGP circus will now take a break and resume with the Austrian GP on August 15-17.
“Now it’s the summer break but still 10 races to go. Time to relax, but in Austria I [will] keep the same mentality with the same intensity,” Marc Marquez said.
He is eyeing his seventh MotoGP world title – and first since 2019 – which would put him level with Valentino Rossi and one behind the legendary Giacomo Agostini.
Marc Marquez celebrates with an eight sign after winning the Czech MotoGP race, his eighth victory this season [Michal Cizek/AFP]
